Researcher, Dr. Fred Roisen, from the University of Louisville’s School of Medicine has got the race on! Confirming the work that Prof Geoffrey Raisman from University College of London has done with the repairing of Brachial Plexus Injuries. This will undoubtedly push this science from lab rats to humans much sooner now that Raisman has a challenger!
Read on, and watch video of rat regaining 90-95% of use back in it's paralyzed limb after only 11 weeks post surgery.
Christopher
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http://www.wlky.com/news/10433157/detail.html#
Adult Stem Cells Proving Worth In Spinal Healing
POSTED: 3:10 pm EST November 30, 2006
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Debilitating spinal cord injuries not only affect mobility, but can lead to other serious health problems.
However, a new groundbreaking study conducted at the University of Louisville’s School of Medicine may lead to a new therapy to reverse those effects.
With the help of 10 years of research, a Louisville doctor is using stem cells from nasal passages to help rebuild damaged spinal cord tissue.
"It's terribly exciting; we do research all our lives,” Dr. Fred Roisen said. “What really is the importance of a stem cell? The importance is you can take a cell and use it to replace damaged cells in the human body.”
Roisen doesn’t use the controversial embryonic stem cells, but uses the more stable adult stem cells taken from the nose.
"You'll see we're going to take a little tiny piece of tissue about the size of a pin head,” Roisen said.
Dr. Roisen’s study has shown in the laboratory that the adult stem cells can change into neurons that help heal the break in damaged spinal tissue that is responsible for carrying electric signals to the nervous system.
"So there's an injury, there's a gap in the rat's spinal cord,” Roisen said. “They fill the gap, they pump out the growth factors and they elongate and they literally make a bridge across the break."
Using rats with spinal defects as test subjects, Roisen’s therapy virtually healed a rat with a paralyzed paw in about 11 weeks.
Roisen’s research also showed there is a possibility a person with a spinal cord injury could be healed using stem cells from their own nose, which means less chance of rejection and no need for anti-rejection medication.
Cure for BPI Confirmed!!!
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Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: Cure for BPI Confirmed!!!
That is incredibly exciting. Thanks for passing on the news! Michele
Re: Cure for BPI Confirmed!!!
Thats great do the need a human ginea pig yet? Hopefully this will help others get thier arms back. I wonder how it would work on older bpis though? Hopefully they can get through the read tape and start helping new bpi's to regain wont we have lost.
Re: Cure for BPI Confirmed!!!
Chris, that is phenominal! Any idea when they'll be able to start research on PEOPLE??
Ellen
Ellen