After four weeks, the rodents were able to move about as easily as before their spine section.
- In the United States, nearly 300,000 people suffer from spinal cord injury.
- These people have a shorter life expectancy, compared to the rest of the population.
A single injection to restore one of the essential functions of the human body: walking. Researchers at Northwestern University, located in Illinois, in the United States, have succeeded in treating paralyzed mice with a treatment capable of repairing the tissues of the spinal cord. To test their drug, these scientists cut the spinal cords of rodents and then observed them for three months. The results of this research have been published in the specialist journal Science.
A drug with multiple effects
The treatment had several effects on the mice’s spinal cords: severed extensions of neurons, called axons, regenerated; scar tissue, which can create a physical barrier to regeneration and repair, has decreased significantly; myelin, the insulating layer of the axons which acts on the transmission of electrical signals, has reformed around the cells and functional blood vessels have reformed at the site of injury. More concretely, the mice were able to walk again after four weeks. In twelve weeks, the biomaterials of the treatment were completely dissolved and transformed into nutrients for the cells before disappearing completely from the body, with no side effects reported by the researchers.
From “molecules dancing”
Injected in a liquid form, the drug immediately gels into an intricate network of nanofibers that mimic the tissue surrounding the spinal cord. By matching the structure of this tissue, and mimicking the movement of biological molecules, synthetic materials are able to communicate with cells.
“Receptors on neurons and other cells are constantly moving“, explains Samuel I. Stupp, director of this study. The scientists found that refining the movement of molecules within the network of nanofibers to make them more agile led to greater therapeutic effectiveness in paralyzed mice. “The key innovation of our research, which has never been done before, is to control the collective movement of more than 100,000 molecules within nanofibers. By making the molecules move, “dance” or even temporarily jump out of these structures, called supramolecular polymers, they are able to connect more efficiently to receptors.“, details the scientist.
Hope for paralyzed people?
“Our research aims to find a therapy that can prevent individuals from becoming paralyzed after major trauma or illness.“, says Samuel I. Stupp. He reminds us that the central nervous system of our body, which includes the brain and the spinal cord, is not able to self-repair after an injury or following a degenerative disease. American scientist announced that he was going to take steps with the FDA (the American Food and Drug Administration) to have this new therapy approved and be able to use it in humans.
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