Researchers make major advancements in spinal cord regeneration

[Oct. 15, 2023: Staff Writer, The Brighter Side of News]

In the immediate aftermath of a spinal cord injury, a clock begins ticking. Within a few hours, patients are often whisked into surgery and given a mix of anti-inflammatory medications, from common drugs like Advil to the potent steroid, methylprednisolone.

The aim? To minimize the cascading damage caused by inflammation, swelling, and reduced blood flow. Beyond this critical window, scientists once believed the chances of additional recovery were bleak.

Aileen Anderson, a stem cell researcher at the University of California, Irvine, explained the prevailing sentiment, noting, "The dominant thinking was that you should focus on acute injuries… this was the place to target." But recent advancements are challenging this once-accepted perspective.

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Recent discoveries in the lab have highlighted techniques to treat spinal cord damage long after its initial occurrence. These innovative methods include the utilization of electrical currents to reinvigorate essential pathways in the nervous system and groundbreaking surgeries to promote self-repair in injuries.

Significantly, these revelations open the door to recovery for countless individuals who have endured severe spinal cord injuries, some for decades. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center points out the immense economic burden such individuals face over their lifetime, often reaching millions of dollars.

While spinal cord injuries only affect approximately 17,000 individuals in the U.S. annually, a vast number grapple with the lasting damage. Estimates range from 250,000 to a staggering 1 million, according to Anderson. Michael Fehlings, a renowned neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital, underscores the profound implications of even slight advancements.

Referring to Christopher Reeve's type of paralysis, Fehlings states, “If one had a treatment that could even partially restore hand and upper extremity function and partially restore independence of a person, the economic impact and the human impact is enormous.”

Our spinal cord, a delicate structure comprising nerve cells and slender fibers called axons, is pivotal in transmitting messages between our brain and the body's nerves. It governs a myriad of functions: from muscle movement and pain sensation to essential tasks like heart rate regulation.

Depending on the injury location, symptoms can range from tetraplegia — paralysis of most of the body due to high spinal cord impacts — to paraplegia, which affects the legs and lower body, as elucidated by the National Institutes of Health. In combating these injuries, early interventions such as spinal cord decompression surgery and inflammation-reducing medications have always been crucial. Despite these measures, many recovery efforts have delivered only marginal success.

Discussing the numerous strategies adopted over the years, Anderson points out the unfortunate reality: “There were a ton of strategies that people worked on… but there were also any number of failed clinical trials that came out of that.”

Currently, the clinical offerings for those with chronic spinal cord injuries are mainly symptomatic treatments. Susan Harkema, associate director of the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, notes, "Most therapies that are approved with a clinical indication are to treat symptoms.”

Innovative techniques like locomotor training offer a glimmer of hope. Developed by Harkema and her team at the University of Louisville, it assists patients in rehabilitating their legs through controlled movement. Another promising treatment, electrical stimulation, deploys low-level electrical currents to reanimate dormant nerve circuits, often resulting in the recovery of lost movements.

Excitingly, when combined with intensive physical training, this method has even enabled paraplegics to walk again. On this approach, Fehlings remarks, "It’s not a cure for spinal cord injury… but it’s something that does have potential hope for individuals who have a chronic spinal cord injury.”

Perhaps the most revolutionary direction is the exploration of stem cell transplants into the spinal cord. This approach, which aims to replace damaged cells and restore the spinal cord's transmission capacity, has shown tremendous promise in animal studies.

While these groundbreaking techniques paint a hopeful picture, funding constraints loom large. The relatively low annual incidence of spinal cord injuries might deter pharmaceutical investments. However, as Anderson points out, spinal cord injuries share commonalities with other central nervous system conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and strokes. As such, treatments developed could potentially benefit a broader patient base.

Amidst these challenges, Fehlings exudes optimism, especially regarding the potential of regenerative medicine, including stem cell transplants. He believes these solutions might reach clinics in the next decade, marking a pivotal moment for those currently beyond the reach of today's treatments. In his words, “We’re at an inflection point in the regenerative medicine era… I’m extremely hopeful.”

Note: Materials provided above by The Brighter Side of News. Content may be edited for style and length.

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