New Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries Promising

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A combination treatment shows promise in preventing paralysis from spinal cord injuries.

New research from Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in New York City looked at rats with crushed spinal cords similar to human injury. It finds radiation therapy to destroy harmful cells along with microsurgery to drain excess fluids significantly increases the body's ability to repair the injured cord and permanently recover from injury.

Previous research shows the spinal cord can repair itself in the early days after injury, but certain cells block the repair process during the second or third week. Previous studies on rats revealed radiation therapy during the third week after the injury helped the spinal cord heal itself by eliminating the cells that interfere with the natural repair process.

During this study, researchers made a micro-incision down the center of the injured cord one hour after injury to release fluid buildup, followed by localized radiation therapy for 10 days starting on the tenth day after injury. There was almost a two-fold improvement in the body's ability to heal the injured cord compared with untreated rats, according to study authors. This suggests fluid build-up and swelling must be prevented first for the radiation therapy to repair the wound.

The study also shows exercise may increase tissue repair. When researchers added 10 minutes of treadmill exercise five days a week to the radiation therapy starting at the second week after injury, the spinal cord's ability to repair itself was significantly improved.

Researchers report the findings provide hope that paralysis from spinal cord injuries can be prevented or repaired with a combination of conventional therapies.

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SOURCE: PLoS ONE, published online July 18, 2007
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