Australian scientists use nose cells to repair spinal cord injuries.A team of scientists in Australia is attempting to repair spinal cord injuries Spinal Cord Injury Definition Spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord that causes loss of sensation and motor control. Description Approximately 10,000 new spinal cord injuries (SCIs) occur each year in the United States. using cells from patients' nasal passages. The first of 8 pilot surgeries was conducted in June. During the 8-hour procedure, the team transplanted olfactory olfactory /ol·fac·to·ry/ (ol-fak´ter-e) pertaining to the sense of smell. ol·fac·to·ry adj. Of, relating to, or contributing to the sense of smell. ensheathing cells (OECs) from inside the nose into the spinal cord spinal cord, the part of the nervous system occupying the hollow interior (vertebral canal) of the series of vertebrae that form the spinal column, technically known as the vertebral column. of a volunteer paraplegic paraplegic /para·ple·gic/ (-ple´jik) 1. pertaining to or of the nature of paraplegia. 2. an individual with paraplegia. patient. OECs are a type of cell more typically found in the brain and spinal cord, and their easy accessibility avoids the need for removing the cells from the brain itself. And unlike other nerve cells in the body, OECs continually regenerate throughout life. After expanding the cells in the laboratory, 14 million OECs were dissolved in 2 drops of fluid and injected into several areas of the patient's injured spinal cord using a surgical device developed by the team. While the researchers were careful not to raise false hopes that the procedure will be a cure for paralysis, there is hope that the cells "will do something positive for these people," said ear nose and throat specialist Chris Perry of Princess Alexandra Hospital The Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH), is located on Ipswich Road in Woolloongabba, Australia. It is one of the major hospitals in Brisbane and is a teaching hospital of the University of Queensland. in Brisbane. Based on results in animals, Perry expects the patients may possibly regain some feeling and have some improvement in bladder and bowel function. |
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