Collaborate Disseminate
Electrical stimulation of the spine can help paralyzed people walk again, with promising results shown in clinical trials. Now, scientists have identified the specific neurons being stimulated, and found that patients can still walk even after the elec… Continue reading Scientists identify neurons that help paralyzed patients walk again
In a world-first clinical trial, three babies have been born after receiving stem cell treatment for spina bifida. The treatment involves administering a stem cell patch to the fetus’ spine while still developing in the womb, and early results are prom… Continue reading World-first stem cell therapy trial treats spina bifida before birth
A drug under investigation as a cancer treatment has shown exciting promise in a rather different branch of medical research, with scientists demonstrating how it can promote nerve repair following spinal injury. The breakthrough shows how the drug act… Continue reading Cancer drug triggers remarkable recovery from spinal cord injury in mice
Human trials have shown that hydrogel injections are a promising, effective treatment for chronic lower back pain caused by degenerative disc disease (DDD). The treatment is far less invasive than other surgeries, and has been given FDA approval.Contin… Continue reading Injectable hydrogel treats back pain from damaged discs in human trials
In what is being described as a world-first, scientists in Israel have reportedly grown spinal cord implants utilizing tissue extracted from human volunteers. Those implants were then used to restore full walking abilities to previously paralyzed mice…. Continue reading Lab-grown human spinal cord tissue gets paralyzed mice walking again
As people get older, the intervertebral discs in their spine tend to deteriorate, some of which end up being surgically replaced with implants. A new patient-specific spinal model, however, could help determine how successful such surgery will be.Conti… Continue reading Patient-specific spinal model may predict the effect of disc implants
Where some parts of the human body are able to heal relatively well following an injury, a damaged spinal cord is one that has a notoriously difficult time. But a new type of artificial scaffold is providing scientists with new cause for optimism. It f… Continue reading Spinal cord scaffold sends regenerating neurons in the right direction
Spinal cord injuries are among the most debilitating, leading to difficulty walking or a complete paralysis of limbs. In a new breakthrough study, researchers at Northwestern University have developed a gel containing “dancing molecules” that allowed p… Continue reading Injection of “dancing molecules” gets paralyzed mice walking in 4 weeks
As the human body grows older, its tissues accumulate higher concentrations of what are known as senescent cells, which no longer possess the ability to divide and instead accelerate the aging process. By investigating this process in discs in the spin… Continue reading Anti-aging drugs preserve spinal discs to target age-related back pain
By targeting the same mechanisms through which epidural anesthesia controls pain during child birth, engineers at the University of Cambridge have demonstrated a new medical implant that could offer relief from other types of severe pain. Administered … Continue reading Spinal implant inflates like a tiny air mattress to block severe pain