Personal Injury Blog

Researchers Experiment with New Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury

January 22nd, 2012
treatment of spinal cord injury

When a person suffers a spinal cord injury, a number of changes begin to take place near the injured site

If all goes well, an experimental new drug that is currently being tested on dogs could be used for the treatment of spinal cord injury in human beings.  Last week, researchers from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and the University California San Francisco announced that they will begin testing the drug on dogs with spinal cord injury.

Tests on mice have already proved very successful.  Researchers have tested the drug on mice that had suffered spinal cord damage, and had some form of paralysis.  They found that after being administered the drug, the mice which barely dragged their hind legs, were able to regain some function and movement in their hind legs, and were able to take steps.

The drug is not really a cure for spinal cord injury.  Rather, what it does is block the kind of destruction that begins to take place soon after a spinal cord injury.  When a person suffers a spinal cord injury, a number of changes begin to take place near the injured site.  These chemical reactions, inflammation and swelling increase the intensity of the injury.  What the drug does is to block these processes, therefore restricting the secondary damage in the area.  It does this specifically by limiting the functioning of a protein called matrix metalloproteinase-9 which causes cell and pathway damage soon after spinal cord injury.

The researchers will begin testing the drug on dogs with spinal cord damage.  The study is being funded by a $750,000 grant from the US Department of Defense.  The USA California San Francisco Researchers have already conducted tests on mice, and have found successful results.  Now, researchers from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine will try to replicate those results on dogs with spinal cord damage.  Only certain breeds of dogs will be included in the testing.  The researchers are testing on dogs that have short legs and long torsos, like dachshunds and beagles.  These breeds are found to be more likely to suffer spinal cord damage.  With the permission of the dog owners, the experimental drug will be used on the dogs.  If the treatment is found to be beneficial in dogs too, then researchers plan to extend the tests to human beings.

Approximately 2 million people live with spinal cord injury in the United States.  Every year, approximately 12,000 Americans are added to that number.  San Diego spinal cord injury lawyers know that there is a dire need for a treatment that limits damage, and accelerates recovery for these patients.

Posted by Robert Reeves at 1:47 pm: No comments

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