Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

Washington, February 18 (ANI): Rats with severe spinal cord injury are learning to walk and run again after a couple of weeks of neurorehabilitation with a combination of a robotic harness and electricalchemical stimulation. Last June in the journal Science, Gregoire Courtine, of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), reported that rats in his lab are not only voluntarily initiating a walking gait, but they were sprinting, climbing up stairs, and avoiding obstacles. Now, at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, Courtine has described this research in detail and the next steps towards clinical trials to be done in Switzerland. Courtine holds the International Paraplegic Foundation (IRP) Chair in Spinal Cord Repair at EPFL. At AAAS, in a symposium titled, "Engineering the Nervous System: Solutions to Restore Sight, Hearing, and Mobility," he outlines the range of neuroprosthetic technologies developed in his lab, which aim to restore voluntary control of locomotion after severe spinal cord injury. He explains how he and his colleagues are interfacing the central nervous system with stretchable spinal electrode arrays controlled with smart stimulation algorithms - combined with novel robotic rehabilitation - and shows videos of … Continue reading →

Public release date: 17-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Hillary Sanctuary hillary.sanctuary@epfl.ch 41-797-034-809 Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne In the lab, rats with severe spinal cord injury are learning to walkand runagain. Last June in the journal Science, Grgoire Courtine, of the cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne (EPFL), reported that rats in his lab are not only voluntarily initiating a walking gait, but they were sprinting, climbing up stairs, and avoiding obstacles after a couple of weeks of neurorehabilitation with a combination of a robotic harness and electricalchemical stimulation. Now, at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, Courtine describes this research in detail and the next steps towards clinical trials to be done in Switzerland. Courtine holds the International Paraplegic Foundation (IRP) Chair in Spinal Cord Repair at EPFL. At AAAS, in a symposium titled, Engineering the Nervous System: Solutions to Restore Sight, Hearing, and Mobility, he outlines the range of neuroprosthetic technologies developed in his lab, which aim to restore voluntary control of locomotion after severe spinal cord injury. He explains how he and his colleagues are interfacing the central nervous system with stretchable spinal electrode arrays … Continue reading →

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI) and other neurotrauma conditions, today announced the 2nd Annual Langer Summit on Neurotrauma, taking place on Cape Cod in North Falmouth, MA on July 12 14, 2013. The Company is inviting papers in the fields of neurotrauma and SCI, and will announce the recipient of a $50,000 grant that will be given to a researcher developing novel biomaterial treatments for neurotrauma at the Summit. The award is intended to stimulate innovation and cutting-edge ideas in the fields of neuroprotection and regeneration utilizing biomaterials. If you are a researcher in these fields, please submit your paper to InVivo Therapeutics by April 15, 2013. Your submission will be evaluated by Robert S. Langer, ScD and a panel of experts. The top author will be invited to present at the invitation-only event. Well continue what we started at the 2012 Summit, fostering a productive exchange of ideas between InVivo scientists and neurotrauma researchers with the objective of furthering the development of treatments for SCI and other neurotrauma conditions, said InVivo CEO Frank Reynolds. Since the last Summit, weve been focused on advancing … Continue reading →

WEST ORANGE, NJ--(Marketwire - Feb 12, 2013) - Jeanne M. Zanca, PhD, MPT, has assumed the position of senior research scientist at Kessler Foundation. Dr. Zanca joined Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) & Outcomes Assessment Research on January 28, 2013, reporting to director Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD. "Dr. Zanca is an accomplished scientist who adds an important dimension to spinal cord research at Kessler Foundation," said Rodger DeRose, president and CEO. "Her expertise enables us to extend our clinical research and supports the mission of our SCI Model System center, the Northern New Jersey SCI System (NNJSCIS)." Dr. Zanca is a co-investigator for the NNJSCIS and will lead efforts to disseminate research findings. "With the scope of the Foundation's research, the expertise of its dedicated scientists, and its wealth of collaborative projects, there are many opportunities to contribute to advances in rehabilitation research," noted Dr. Zanca. "I am pleased to be a part of those efforts." Her interests include the prevention and treatment of secondary complications, promotion of health and function through innovative rehabilitation interventions and assistive technology, and the development of a system for classifying rehabilitation interventions. Dr. Zanca joined the Foundation from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she … Continue reading →

By Katie Euphrat Above: Recovering from a spinal cord injury can be extremely difficult. Physical therapy and other interventions can help. But despite those efforts, some people are left with paralyzed or spastic limbs. A unique type of surgery offers hope to these patients. KPBS Health Reporter Kenny Goldberg says the procedure can produce some miraculous results. Some of the scenes included in this video are graphic. SAN DIEGO Recovering from a spinal cord injury can be extremely difficult. Physical therapy and other interventions can help. But despite those efforts, some people are left with paralyzed or spastic limbs. In July 2008, Rick Constantine was involved in a head-on car crash in Las Vegas. The accident left him paralyzed on his right side. Despite surgery to ease the pressure on his spine, and numerous physical therapy sessions, his condition just didnt improve much. Doctors told Constantine hed never walk again. But they were wrong. Constantine not only can get up out of his wheelchair under his own power, he can also walk without a cane. In August 2005, Steve Isetts was riding his mountain bike in Escondidos Daley Ranch. He swerved to dodge something on the trail, and wiped out. … Continue reading →

ARDSLEY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (ACOR) announced data from studies showing that Glial Growth Factor 2 (GGF2) can enhance recovery of sensorimotor function in a preclinical model of stroke. The studies expand on an existing body of preclinical work examining GGF2 in stroke, and specifically explored various doses and frequency of administration to assess optimal treatment regimens. The data were featured as a late-breaking poster presentation at the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference in Honolulu, HI. These data confirm earlier preclinical study results showing that GGF2 can improve recovery of function following stroke. They also provide valuable information about varying dosing regimens that will contribute to the further development of GGF2, said Anthony Caggiano, M.D., Ph.D., Acordas Vice President of Research and Development. Previous studies have shown that GGF2 can be effective in restoring function when initiating therapy as long as seven days following a stroke. Currently approved stroke interventions need to be administered within a few hours of an event, which limits therapy to a small minority of people who experience a stroke. Early data on GGF2 suggest a longer time window to administer treatment, which represents a potentially critical advance. The poster, entitled Optimized … Continue reading →

ARDSLEY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (ACOR) today announced that it will host a conference call and live webcast to report its fourth quarter and full year 2012 financial results on Wednesday, February 13 at 8:30 a.m. ET. To participate in the conference call, please dial 866-356-3095 (domestic) or 617-597-5391 (international) and reference the access code 66159419. The presentation will be available via a live webcast on the Investors section of http://www.acorda.com. Please log in approximately 5 minutes before the scheduled time of the presentation to ensure a timely connection. A replay of the call will be available from 10:30 a.m. ET on February 13, 2013 until midnight on March 13, 2013. To access the replay, please dial 888-286-8010 (domestic) or 617-801-6888 (international) and reference the access code 55654711. An archived version of the webcast will be available for 30 days in the Investor Relations section of the Acorda website at http://www.acorda.com. About Acorda Therapeutics Acorda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapies that restore function and improve the lives of people with MS, spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions. Acorda markets AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg, in the United States as a treatment to … Continue reading →

Public release date: 5-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Carolann Murphy cmurphy@kesslerfoundation.org 973-324-8382 Kessler Foundation West Orange, NJ. February 4, 2013. The final phase of the SCIRehab Project (Phase 3) was published in the November 2012 issue of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine (JSCM). Nine papers comprised the Special Issue: Relationship of Inpatient Rehabilitation Interventions to Outcomes Following Spinal Cord Injury. Guest editors: J. Scott Richards, Gale Whiteneck, Daniel Lammertse, Marcel Dijkers, and Julie Gassaway. Key article available for free download via ingentaconnect.com: Whiteneck G, Gassaway J. The SCIRehab Project: What rehabilitation interventions are most strongly associated with positive outcomes after spinal cord injury? Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine 2012;35(6): 482-483. The SCIRehab Project Phase 1 and Phase 2 articles were published in JSCM in June 2009 and March 2011, respectively. The Project was funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation, Research Office of Rehabilitative Services, US Department of Education, to Craig Hospital (H133A060103 and H133N060005), The Mount Sinai School of Medicine (H133N060027), the National Rehabilitation Hospital (H133N060028), Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (H133N060014) and to Shepherd Center (H133N060009), and Carolinas Rehabilitation. The SCIRehab Project used practice-based evidence research methodology to investigate inpatient rehabilitation practices for … Continue reading →

Jan. 28, 2013 Unlike the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system has an astonishing capacity for regeneration following injury. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Gttingen have discovered that, following nerve damage, peripheral glial cells produce the growth factor neuregulin1, which makes an important contribution to the regeneration of damaged nerves. From their cell bodies to their terminals in muscle or skin, neuronal extensions or axons in the peripheral nervous system are surrounded along their entire length by glial cells. These cells, which are known as Schwann cells, envelop the axons with an insulating sheath called myelin, which enables the rapid transmission of electrical impulses. Following injury to a peripheral nerve, the damaged axons degenerate. After a few weeks, however, they regenerate and are then recovered with myelin by the Schwann cells. For thus far unexplained reasons, however, the Schwann cells do not manage to regenerate the myelin sheaths completely. Thus the function of damaged nerves often remains permanently impaired and certain muscles remain paralysed in affected patients. In a current research study, the scientists have succeeded in showing that the growth factor neuregulin1 supports nerve repair and the redevelopment of the myelin layer. … Continue reading →

ROSEMONT, Ill., Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Currently there is no effective treatment used in clinical practice for patients with an injured spinal cord. However, a group of orthopaedic scientists have recently discovered that the administration of microRNA-210 could be an effective treatment for an injured spinal cord by promoting regeneration following injury. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/MM45506LOGO) Previously, microRNA-210 has been studied as an effective treatment for cancer and other diseases. Scientists noted that there was an absence of this particular gene in cancerous tumors, but it was found in abundance in healthy tissue. By delivering what was missing directly to the diseased tumor, scientists were able to stop the progression of the disease. Other scientists, however, noted that microRNA has the possibility to actually promote the growth of certain cancers. Dr. Satoshi Ujigo from Hiroshima University in Japan and his colleagues applied this same theory to injured spinal cords hoping for similar results. His work was recently presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society's (ORS) 2013 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas this January. Dr. Ujigo and his colleagues administrated miR-210 to a group of mice directly at the sight of the injured spinal cord. These mice, as well as those in … Continue reading →