Mixing two drugs would “regrow” the spine of rats after a fracture. The researchers hope to be able to validate these results in humans.
Repairing fractures by regrowing the spinal cord: it may seem impossible, but this is what researchers in London have managed to do. In NPJ Regenerative Medicine, they explain how they achieved this manipulation using a mixture of two drugs. The test, carried out on rats, made it possible to resorb vertebral fractures.
Stimulate a natural process
In the event of a fracture, the bone marrow stimulates different types of stem cells to allow tissue repair and regeneration. “The body repairs itself all the time, explains Sara Rankin, lead author of the study. When bones break, they heal through the activation of stem cells. However, when injuries are severe, the body can reach its limits.” The trial of this drug cocktail aims to stimulate the body’s natural regenerative mechanisms to treat these serious cases.
Scientists at Imperial College London used drugs already authorized for sale: Plerixafor AMD3100/CXCR4, used in bone marrow transplants and a beta3-AR agonist that treats urinary disorders. The aim of the treatment is to put the bone marrow on alert: it will activate certain types of stem cells, the mesenchymal cells. These can turn into bone and help repair broken bones.
Conclusive results
The test on rats was conclusive: all received a single dose of the mixture of the two drugs. After that, bone formation accelerated in the area of the fracture. However, the researchers did not test the restoration of movement in the bone, nor the repair of other related tissues, such as nerves. According to the authors, these discoveries would be applicable for vertebral fractures, for those of the hip and the leg and it could also improve healing after surgery. The next stage of the study will be the test on humans, first with a healthy sample, then with participants who have one of their bones broken.
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