Spinal cord injury receives new hope from stem cell research

[Technocracy]

Spinal cord injury receives new hope from stem cell research

Researchers at Northwestern University?s Institute for Cell Engineering are concentrating on progress with Bone Morphogenetic Proteins as a means of making a major breakthrough in recovery for victims of spinal cord injuries. As Northwestern?s research experts continue to learn about these complex proteins, they are discovering more and more ways in which they are beneficial in repairing spinal cords after traumatic accidents and injuries.

With the influence of the BMPs in a damaged spine, the body?s natural inclination to produce inflammation around the damaged nerves is reduced, allowing the regular production and revival of the nerve axons that are necessary for recovery. A damaged spine has an inexplicable declination to recovery, as if the body simply stops paying attention to it. The BMPs are, figuratively speaking, a second wind that influences the immune system to begin healing the spinal cord and damaged nerves and tissues.

Because the BMPs are effective at limiting astrocytes, which are the cause for the excessive swelling after spinal damage, Northwestern?s researchers are trying to find a way to create more BMPs to overwhelmingly control the astrocytes and help prevent irreversible damage. And they hope to find their answer in the stem cells of various mice with spine damage.

Each member of the team at Northwestern examines different types of stem cells in different mice and surveys the results of each with the common goal that one type of stem cell will instigate rapid reproduction of BMPs in one tiny rodent?s injured spine. However, this necessity of teamwork became evident as they discovered that influencing the BMP count of the mice had side effects. Some mice have been reacting differently with the subtraction of BMP receptors, raising the collective eyebrow of the research team.

The new mission for the Northwestern researchers is to find out if the extreme addition of BMPs to the mice will affect them in similar or other ways as the subtraction of the proteins.

http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/blog/2009/12/02/spinal-cord-injury-receives-new-hope-from-stem-cell-research/

 

[Everett]

Splendora,TX teen

I just got in from a meeting at church and had the opportunity to speak with a young man from my county. We were talking about the possibility of adult stem cell transplants for my COPD. He told me of a teen that has recently had asct for a spinal cord injury where he lost everything from mid thorax down. His parents took him to Germany where he got transplants. Up until just recently he had no results from it but one morning he called his mother and told her that his right knee felt like it was on fire--the first sensation he has has from the injury down since his wreck. I cannot believe how many people are getting involved with stem cell programs or information on them.

The group I was with tonight is called The Refuge. My wife, Linda, is the secretary-treasurer for them. They are a group that help pregnant teens-- educating them and trying to keep them from aborting their fetuses. You should have seen the heads swivel when I told the table I was at that I am gathering information to have stem cell transplant or my COPD. Just a few slack-jawed folks at that point. They all stood down when I explained that it was not embryonic from fetuses and then I got to do a bit of educating with the group on adult stem cell transplants... I was lucky to get to talk to them. As I tell them at church--we must be bold in our witness to get the good word out.
Everett

 

[barbara]

Everett - I am glad you were able to enlighten your group. There are so many people opposed to stem cell therapy on moral grounds that do not understand that there is a whole world of stem cell research and treatments that use our own (autologous) stem cells or umbilical cord stem cells. They somehow believe that all stem cell therapy is embryonic based. I only know of a couple of offshore clinics that use embryonic stem cells and quite frankly, I would never go to either one of them because of safety issues. With all the new discoveries of stem cells that can mimic embryonic stem cells, I believe the issue will become a non issue in a few years, but it will take years to educate the public as to all that is involved in stem cell therapy. Keep talking to people and spread the word. Also, have you joined www.safestemcells.org? This group is focused on adult stem cell therapy only.