Spinal Cord Injuries Treatments

 

As we know the brain and spinal cord are the two regions of the body that are associated with the central nervous system. In other words, damage to any of these regions would lead to the loss of proper functioning of the body. The progressive loss of neurons/axons is typically referred to as neurodegeneration, the hallmark of CNS injury. Damage to the CNS can cause an onset of diseases such as Alzheimer's, PLS, ALS, MS, and much more. A famous actor by the name of Christopher Reeves played the DC superhero, superman, during the 1980s. Superman, also known as the man of steel, is an indestructible alien but sadly Reeves is just a human. On May 27, 1995, the actor injured his spinal cord after falling off his horse in an equestrian competition. He landed directly on his head where he broke two vertebrae in his neck. Luckily, his spinal cord was not completely damaged, however, there was a large hemorrhage at the site of the injury. Reeves was paralyzed from the waist down and was mandated to be attached to a mechanical ventilator in order for him to survive. He lost his entire career and almost his life. This story further exemplifies the detrimental effects associated with damaged regions regarding the CNS. Many researchers today are finding various methods in neural tissue repair and regeneration in order for people to have proper functioning of their body. Sadly, we do not have the proper amount of research or information on the spinal cord to treat these damaged areas. 

 A 2020 study by Dr. Oudega takes a look at the effects of a nanofiber-hydrogel composite (NHC) on neural tissue repair on the spinal cord and whether this method can be used to treat any kind of spinal cord injury in humans. The researchers in this study used a rat as the model organism and through the injection of NHC, it provided mechanical support and a microenvironment to the contused spinal cord which plays an important role in nervous tissue damage and repair. A spinal cord contusion leads to a loss of nervous tissue thus the body is unable to elicit any repair/regeneration (Li et al. 2020). Furthermore, without any exogenous factors, NHC supported angiogenesis, axonal growth, neurogenesis at the injured site, and pro-regenerative macrophage polarization. It can be seen that these researchers developed a method for repairing damaged nervous tissue within spinal cord contusions (Li et al. 2020). However, it is important to note that these positive effects were only seen in rats and human trials haven’t been conducted yet. It can be seen that we are one step closer to neural regeneration which could help many people that are suffering from diseases associated with spinal cord injuries. 

 A recent 2020 news article takes a look at a different approach in neurotypical regeneration via a stem cell treatment after the spinal cord injury. Mayo Clinic is conducting human clinical trials of stem cell treatment with individuals suffering from severe spinal cord injury. This clinical treatment is called CELLTOP which involves injections of autologous adipose-derived stem cells into the spinal cord (Windebank 2020). It can be seen that a patient who underwent phase 1 of this procedure showed a dramatic improvement in the functioning of his upper and lower extremities. Sadly, not all patients responded in the same way, some showed dramatic improvement others not so much (Windebank 2020). However, it is important to note that the effects of this treatment plateaued after six months, therefore, the patient was reinjected which led to a significant improvement in grip strength and his overall range of motion.

Through both studies, it can be seen that we have made a significant improvement in regaining the physiological function of the body's extremities associated with neurotypical damage to the spinal cord. Much research still has to be done but we are one step closer to curing people with lifelong spinal cord damage. 

 References 

Li, X., Zhang, C., Haggerty, A. E., Yan, J., Lan, M., Seu, M., Yang, M., Marlow, M. M., Maldonado-Lasunción, I., Cho, B., Zhou, Z., Chen, L., Martin, R., Nitobe, Y., Yamane, K., You, H., Reddy, S., Quan, D. P., Oudega, M., & Mao, H. Q. (2020). The effect of a nanofiber-hydrogel composite on neural tissue repair and regeneration in the contused spinal cord. Biomaterials, 245, 119978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.119978 “Neurology and Neurosurgery.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Accessed March 4, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/neurology-neurosurgery/news/stem-cell-treatment-after-spinal-cord-injury-the-next-steps/mac-20488605.