Czech scientists in pursuit of new spinal cord injury treatment

2010-02-09

Scientists at the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Science have successfully treated chronic spinal cord injuries in rats and intend to start in vivo clinical trials as soon as possible, according to the CTK news agency. The treatment is based on the insertion of a mixture of hydrogel and stem cells at the location of the spinal cord injury, which stimulates the regeneration of the nervous tissue in the spine.
The Institute intends to start in vivo clinical trials as soon as it has received the appropriate permit, which could take up to one year. The experiment is funded by the French Patients Association, and subjects involved in the trials will come from France and Spain.
During the preclinical study on rats the scientists observed that the mobility and sensitivity of the animals’ hind legs improved within six months. After certain improvements, the treatment could help to cure patients with spinal injuries sustained even a few years beforehand. At present, available treatments which use stem cells are effective only when administered shortly after the injury, but this is not always possible because of the patient’s overall condition.