Spinal cord injuries involve damage to any part of the spinal cord due to trauma. The spinal cord sends and receives signals from the brain and controls movement and strength. A complete spinal cord injury is where the feeling below the injured part of the cord is completely gone. An incomplete injury is where some of the feeling remains. In a recent study, gene therapy has restored mobility in mice who have suffered from completely severed spinal cords. The analysis of specific nerve parts that need to regenerate for mobility was studied and it was determined that specific axons are required to regenerate and reconnect to restore full mobility. "The team activated the growth of those identified neurons in mice to regenerate their nerve fibers, as well as promoting specific proteins to support the neurons’ growth through scar tissue." The scientists concluded that gene therapy and electrical stimulation will both be necessary for spinal cord regeneration in humans.
Wow! Who could have thought that mice would have spinal injuries? Gene therapy has helped in correcting many issues in the health of organisms and seeing that mice aren't left out of this is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThe use of animal models to introduce new medical techniques and technologies for both humans and other animals has and will always be fascinating to me. Yet, to great benefit for us, at what cost for them? The researchers of this study obviously didn’t go searching for mice that happened to have spinal injuries. Is this right?
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