Discovery offers new hope to repair spinal cord injuries

[ScienceRocks]

Discovery offers new hope to repair spinal cord injuries
April 24, 2017

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes created a special type of neuron from human stem cells that could potentially repair spinal cord injuries. These cells, called V2a interneurons, transmit signals in the spinal cord to help control movement. When the researchers transplanted the cells into mouse spinal cords, the interneurons sprouted and integrated with existing cells.

V2a interneurons relay signals from the brain to the spinal cord, where they ultimately connect with motor neurons that project out to the arms and legs. The interneurons cover long distances, projecting up and down the spinal cord to initiate and coordinate muscle movement, as well as breathing. Damage to V2a interneurons can sever connections between the brain and the limbs, which contributes to paralysis following spinal cord injuries.
"Interneurons can reroute after spinal cord injuries, which makes them a promising therapeutic target," said senior author Todd McDevitt, PhD, a senior investigator at Gladstone. "Our goal is to rewire the impaired circuitry by replacing damaged interneurons to create new pathways for signal transmission around the site of the injury."

Read more at: https://medicalxpres...juries.html#jCp

Oh'looky science once again working on cures and fixes for major problems that will help people.

 

[pismoe]

hope the spinal cord fix happens . As far as working for yearsto cure people . I remember as a 7 year old in 1956 hearing about a school mates MOM dying of cancer of some type . So yeah , keep up the good work , i applaud you but people keep dying from cancer these last 60 some years from the day that i first heard about cancer Matthew .

 

[JakeStarkey]

good news

and if it comes to fruition, great news

 

[Old Rocks]

Most people my age can remember an early lesson in the worth of science. In 1952, I was 9 years old. And there was a major polio epidemic in the US.

Wiping Out Polio: How The U.S. Snuffed Out A Killer

Sixty years ago, polio was one of the most feared diseases in the U.S.

As the weather warmed up each year, panic over polio intensified. Late summer was dubbed "polio season." Public swimming pools were shut down. Movie theaters urged patrons not to sit too close together to avoid spreading the disease. Insurance companies started selling polio insurance for newborns.

The fear was well grounded. By the 1950s, polio had become one of the most serious communicable diseases among children in the United States.

In 1952 alone, nearly 60,000 children were infected with the virus; thousands were paralyzed, and more than 3,000 died. Hospitals set up special units with iron lung machines to keep polio victims alive. Rich kids as well as poor were left paralyzed.

Then in 1955, the U.S. began widespread vaccinations. By 1979, the virus had been completely eliminated across the country.

 

[Manonthestreet]

strap on an exoskeleton and get busy