Surgery hope for paralysed patients (Raisman, UK)

[Max]

Surgery hope for paralysed patients
British surgeons will attempt next year to make the first repairs of spinal cord nerves using a revolutionary new stem cell technique.
If successful, it could pave the way to helping paralysed patients walk again or restoring sight to the blind.
The procedure involves taking stem cells from the lining of the nose and using them to create a "bridge" between the severed ends of the nerves.
Until now it has not been possible to repair the major nerves running through the spinal cord or branching off from it.
Severing the spinal nerves can lead to permanent paralysis, as happened to Superman star Christopher Reeve who was injured in a riding accident in 1995.
Reeve, who died last year aged 52, campaigned for the kind of stem cell research that has led to the pioneering trial taking place in London.
About 10 patients are expected to undergo the procedure within the first three months of next year at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square.
All have suffered a type of injury most often seen in motorcycle accidents where nerves in the arm are pulled out of the spinal cord.
It causes numbness, pain, and partial loss of movement, and never heals.
Professor Geoffrey Raisman, from the Institute of Neurology, University College London, who developed the new technique and will lead the surgical team, said: "The injury occurs when a blow to the shoulder pulls nerve fibres out of the spinal cord - it's like pulling a plug out of a socket. We're trying to make the nerve fibres grow back in."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/thehealthnews.html?in_article_id=370105&in_page_id=1797

[okwjoe]

This treatment is for Bracial Plexues injuries I assume.

[Schmeky]

Max,

At the first of the summer of 05, Raisman was stating that this olfactory cell procedure could potentially lead to a reduction of, or elimination of the use of a ventilator, improved sensation, and the possiblity of improved hand function in quads.

The restoration of ambulation was never mentioned previously. I don't see how ambulation could be restored without addressing the glial scar, i.e., application of chondriotinase ABC, or something similiar, for example. Everything currently points to combination treatments, this is a single treatment modality only. For lower level injuries requiring neuronal replacement, this treatment would be ineffective, which should be addressed as well.

The article also appears to be mixing peripheral nerve repair with CNS repair, two different aspects of regeneration, making the article somewhat confusing.

[Leif]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/30/nstem30.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/30/ixnewstop.html

Some more.

Schmeky - I can see there is some mixing here in this article as well by the author, but I guess it's still a step in the right direction for studies like this. The Brits are doing great just by starting this study in England.



Stem cell pioneer offers hope to the paralysed
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 30/11/2005)

The first British attempt to treat paralysed spinal cord injury patients with their own stem cells was announced yesterday.


Although this is not the first time that such a transplant has been attempted, the research at University College London is remarkable because, unlike earlier efforts, it rests on a 40-year programme of research on animals and has an established scientific pedigree.

The new hope rests on the discovery that there is only one part of the nervous system in which nerve fibres are in a state of continuous growth throughout adult life. The nerves are at the top of the nose and are concerned with the sense of smell.

Prof Geoffrey Raisman, the director of the Spinal Repair Unit at UCL, announced yesterday in a meeting held at the Royal College of Physicians, that his team will harvest nasal cells to treat at least 10 patients in a pilot study early next year at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square, central London.

"I have spent my research career in trying to find a treatment for spinal cord injury, and I never anticipated that we would get this far when I started out," he said.

He believes that one day transplants will enable patients to regain much of the ability to move that they have lost.

For paraplegic patients this could lead to a return of sensation and movement to some leg muscles, potentially allowing them to stand and make movement easier, while tetraplegics (with spinal injury high in the neck region), could recover touch sensation and movement of the hands, and regain the ability to dress, feed and clean themselves.

"For many years these injuries were considered incurable, and they are still are incurable," said Prof Raisman, although he pointed out that around half of patients can make a recovery to some extent. For those who do not "this opens the door to the repair of these injuries."

In the first human trial he will focus on patients - mostly teenagers - who have had an injury typical of motorcycle accidents where nerves in the arm have been pulled out of the spinal cord, leading to complete paralysis and loss of sensation in the arm as well as intractactable pain in most cases.

"We want to be very careful and precise about the injury that we treat first," Prof Raisman said.

The body does have some ability to regenerate. "When a nerve fibre is severed it attempts to regrow," said Prof Raisman. "Its failure to do this is due to the disruption of the pathway along which the nerve fibres need to travel.

"It is as if part of a roadway has been washed away. The cars are still able to travel, the drivers remember where they wish to go, the tanks are full of fuel. What is required is to repair the roadway, providing a bridge over which the severed nerve fibres can grow back."

Often that gap is blocked by cells that close off the spinal cord by forming a scar. Prof Raisman wants to bridge this gap using adult nerve stem cells from the nasal cavity. "The cut nerve fibres recognise the bridge, cross it rapidly, and regenerate to their original destinations," he said.

Depending on where the spine was severed in laboratory animals these transplants resulted in the ability to reach with a paw or to climb. "We were the first, and still the only, team to show that this repair resulted in a restoration of the ability to breathe," he added. The principle could be used to restore bladder, bowel and sexual functions.

Making a patient his own donor "will avoid the need to use embryonic tissue, to find donor individuals, foreign stem cells, the immune response or to use powerful designer drugs with unknown side-effects."

"Success will open the door to a number of other conditions where nerve fibres are damaged," he said. "These include some major forms of stroke, as well as blindness and deafness caused by nerve injuries.

"We do not wish to raise false hopes in patients who are living with spinal cord injury. However, our work to date clearly indicates that, contrary to received wisdom, the spinal cord does have the potential to repair itself."

First results are expected within the year.

[Schmeky]

Originally Posted by Leif:

"I guess it's still a step in the right direction for studies like this. The Brits are doing great just by starting this study in England".

Couldn't agree with you more. The Brits will undoubtably have excellent documentation and follow through, backed by many years of research. Additionally something good happened with this upcoming trial, good as in taking place sooner than expected. It was estimated earlier this year this trial was to occur "within" the next 3 years. Funding must have been secured quicker than previously anticipated.

Sounds like 2006 may be a banner year for initiation of SCI clinical trials.

[Leif]

Agree with you.
You’ve said some time ago that 2006 could be a year for clinical trials. Yore right here I think, things are going on both in the US, China, Europe etc. Hopes 2006 will be a turning point for SCI.

[garvey]

Yeah - just read that article!
I wouldn't mind walking w/o a cane again - but I hope for the sake of you other folks, especially the younger ones - that these therapies pay off!

[Max]

Spinal cord patients get own stem cells

LONDON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- British scientists (http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20051130-13284900-bc-britain-spinalcord.xml#) say they have, for the first time, attempted to treat paralyzed spinal cord injury (http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20051130-13284900-bc-britain-spinalcord.xml#) patients with the patients' own stem cells (http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20051130-13284900-bc-britain-spinalcord.xml#).


http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20051130-13284900-bc-britain-spinalcord.xml#

[Max]

I noticed that too, Shmeky.

Journalist I presume did not do his homework.....


And another unfortunate thing-Raisman is fierce critic of Huang;)
Could be clash of egoes........

Check my recent post here

http://carecure.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18275


I presume everyone in a field wants to be Most Brightest;)lol of Brightest:D

So Wise-WATCH YOUR CROWN!:D

[carbar]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,3605,1653840,00.html

[George78]

The Brits will undoubtably have excellent documentation and follow through, backed by many years of research. Additionally something good happened with this upcoming trial, good as in taking place sooner than expected. It was estimated earlier this year this trial was to occur "within" the next 3 years. Funding must have been secured quicker than previously anticipated.
Sounds like 2006 may be a banner year for initiation of SCI clinical trials.
yeah, I agree, but are we talking about acute or chronicals?...
George

[Leif]

George,
According to this, it is not necessarily acutest, since the scare is mentioned I mean, but I don’t know for sure… PS. And this study will not create new neurons, just cells that are supporting the nerve fibres.


Often that gap is blocked by cells that close off the spinal cord by forming a scar. Prof Raisman wants to bridge this gap using adult nerve stem cells from the nasal cavity. "The cut nerve fibres recognise the bridge, cross it rapidly, and regenerate to their original destinations," he said.

[Max]

Adult Stem Cell Research Can Help Spinal Cord Injury Patients Email this article (http://www.lifenews.com/emailarticle/friend.php)
Printer friendly page (http://www.lifenews.com/printpage.php)
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 4, 2005

London, England (LifeNews.com) -- Advocates of embryonic stem cell research say more money is needed worldwide for the controversial research to help spinal cord injury patients like deceased Superman star Christopher Reeve. But adult stem cells are already ready to be tried in clinical studies to help such patients. British researchers say adult stem cells found in the lining of the nose has helped mend paralyzed nerves in rats and could help spinal cord injury patients walk again if they are successful in humans.
Neuroscientist Geoffrey Raisman discovered 20 years ago that the cells responsible for sense of smell are good at renewing themselves and when they were injected into the spines of rates, they were very effective in curing damage to the nervous system.
Raisman hopes they will be as effective with humans and he's working with new clinical trials at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London early next year.
There have been no clinical trials of embryonic stem cells and spinal cord injury patients.
Raisman heads the spinal repair unit at University College London and he will perform the treatments with the adult stem cells on 10 patients.
The cells avoid one of the biggest problems with embryonic stem cells in that they come from each of the 10 patients and won't be rejected by their immune systems.
The cells from the nose will be injected to create a "bridge" in the spinal cord from cells there to unattached cells in other limbs.
"The injury occurs when a blow to the shoulder pulls nerve fibers out of the spinal cord -- it's like pulling a plug out of a socket. We're trying to make the nerve fibers grow back in," Britain's Press Association reported him as saying.
"It's never been done before. If successful it will open the door to treating all kinds of connective nerve fiber conditions, including spinal injuries, the most severe kinds of stroke, and blindness and deafness caused by nerve fiber injury."


Printed from: http://www.lifenews.com/bio1209.html (http://www.lifenews.com/bio1209.html)

[antiquity]

Good to see that they've upped the trial date.

[pal]

I don’t know whether the word “ Prof Raisman: 'It will open the door'” is really spoken by Prof Raisman. If it is true, here are some facts.
In fact it is Dr. Huang who is the first doctor have already successfully opened the door in clinic to repair complete chronicspinal cord injuries by using olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) transplantation since four years ago (2001) in the world.
(http://www.cmj.org.cn/PDF/2003/2003101488.pdf) (http://www.cmj.org.cn/PDF/2003/2003101488.pdf))
People can easily find that Geoffrey Raisman visited Dr. Huang' s Clinic, Beijing , China in June of this year from the website (http://www.nrrfr.com/news.asp?newsid=277&btname=新%20闻 (http://www.nrrfr.com/news.asp?newsid=277&btname=新%20闻) and http://www.nrrfr.com/english_news_xx.asp?newsid=411&btname=News) (http://www.nrrfr.com/english_news_xx.asp?newsid=411&btname=News)). At that time Geoffrey Raisman admitted that he was very impressed by the patients’ neurological functional recovery after the OEC transplantation.
Also the paper just published at recent issue of Spinal Cord (2005), 1-8 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16151453&query_hl=9 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16151453&query_hl=9) and http://www.nrrfr.com/english_news_xx.asp?newsid=367&btname=Clinlcal%20research); (http://www.nrrfr.com/english_news_xx.asp?newsid=367&btname=Clinlcal%20research);) as the independently evaluating doctors, Dr. Guest and his coworkers from Miami University reported the outcome of the rapid recovery of segmental neurological functions in a tetraplegic patient following OEC transplantation done by Dr. Huang in their paper.
As a great neuroscientist, it is so unbelievable and regrettable why Prof. Raisman dared not face the truth, went so far as to disregard the facts of Dr. Huang and Mackay-Sim (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16219671&query_hl=6 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16219671&query_hl=6)) having done and told a falsehood, "This is a door which has never been opened: to repair injuries to the brain and spinal cord caused by the disconnection of nerve fibers”. No matter Prof. Raisman whether deny or admit it, the door to repair the spinal cord injury of patients was already successfully opened by Dr. Huang. So how much we wish that Prof. Raisman could collaborate with Dr. Huang to promote development in this field, in order to give more help to the patients with spinal cord injury, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, MS, Ataxia, Strokes, etc.

[Christopher Paddon]

Pal

I think you are taking a very superficial view of the situation. Try finding out the years of research (and results) Geoffrey Raisman has done in this field.

With regard to Dr Huang, I believe Raisman thinks Huang went ahead with insufficient animal studies completed.

Raisman supported Mackay-Sim's team - the two used to work together.

Why have you posted the same post 3 times??

[George78]

Pal, the fact that Prof Raisman will organize a trial in very few months is a major advance for us because Prof Raisman belong to the old institution of surgeons. He will always discourage us to go to China because data Dr. Huang is giving about his works does not comply with the rules of the old institution. But anyway, the fact that surgeons like Drs. Huang, Lima and others have already done a lot of surgeries is of course a huge source of informations for neurosurgeons.
This is very very nice because surgeons like Dr. Huang will finally be well considered and could work hand in hand with surgeons like Prof Raisman.
Have a good day.
George
PS: does anyone can find inclusion criteria for Prof Raisman's trial?...

[spidergirl]

I am trying to figure out why anyone would get the injections without the combinations that Dr. Young keeps talking about. Anyone (in my opinion) just injecting stem cells to the injury needs the combos. Whats going on here? I absolutely refuse to get the treatment anywhere in the world unless they are using the combination therapies. It all seems so ludicrous to me. I can also see how doctors can have other people post "fictitious" information around the world and giving out email address because they are looking to make money. As far as I'm concerned there is still not 1 person in history that has walked unassisted by any of these doctors making headlines. Furthermore, Dr. Young has the upmost respect in so many ways because he has yet to try his procedures on any documented individual and I think thats what we are all waiting for is Dr. Youngs cocktails. There is no doubt in my mind also that the therapies are just going to get better and better every year.

Personally, I dont kno about other "incurable SCI researchers" but I am putting my money on Dr. Young. I truly believe in my heart after his clinical trials there will be more substantial recovery from his patients on some of the therapies than anywhere else in the world. Everything else is nonsense to me. I will not pay 50K to wiggle my toes. So I will say again...

Dr. Young please hurry and get ur combos in trial. We need you and are waiting ever so patiently.



"God has left our legs attached to our body for a reason, and that reason is inevitably a cure".

[spidergirl]

P.S. I sincerely apologize if this had nothing to do about the debate whether what doctor believed this was ethical or what they didnt think was ethical to me its jus doctors bashing eachother down for what they believe is right. I think these doctors should spend less time talking smack about eachother and focus on whats important here and thats curing us. So getting back into the lab and researching and minding there own business makes more sense than focusing energy on what other people are doing. FOCUS ON YOURSELF!

I am jus sick and tired of opening up yet another page about another doctor doing this or that with no mention of combo therapies.

**If they are gonna cure SCI for god sakes just shut up and DO IT!!!!! I dont care how or what cell or therapy you use. PROVE IT!!! Show us. Document, and were there dude!

[Schmeky]

Spidergirl,

It is not possible for one lab staffed by a relatively small number of people to discover and determine the many potential numbers of different combinations that could be tried on SCI.

The toxicology studies and dosages alone could take many many years to figure out. Add to that the difficulty of performing these experiments on chronically injured lab rats, which would make cost alone, a major consideration.

There are many labs worldwide working on various methods of recovery for chronics, these are a few I can recall:

1. King's College London (J. Fawcett / E. Bradbury), England - chondroitinase ABC.
2. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis (J. Guest), U.S.A. - human OEG from nasal mucosa combined with Rolipram.
3. Biogen (S. Strittmatter), U.S.A. - Nogo receptor blocker.
4. Dept. of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville (Xiao Ming Xu), U.S.A. - Schwann cells-bridging transplantation combined with GDNF and chondroitinase.
5. Craig Hospital in Englewood (S. Falci), U.S.A. & Karolinska Institute, Sweden - embryonic stem cells.
6. The Spinal Cord Society, U.S.A. - OECs combined with adult human stem cells.
7. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis (M. Bunge), U.S.A. - Schwann cell transplants combined with cAMP and Rolipram.
8. The ISRT (G. Raisman), England - autotransplantation of adult olfactory mucosal ensheathing glia.
9. The Reeve-Irvine Research Center (H. Keirstead), U.S.A. - human embryonic stem cells and human OECs.
10. NewNeural, Inc. (K. Sugaya), U.S.A. - adult stem cell therapy (human neurons from BMSCs).
11. StemCells, Inc., U.S.A. - human neural stem cells (hCNS-SC).
12. The Neurosurgery Clinic (W. Jarmundowicz), Wroclaw, Poland - human OEG.
13. University of Louisville (F. Roisen), U.S.A. - olfactory ensheathing cells.
14. Mayo Clinic (A. Windebank, Yaszemski), U.S.A. - Schwann cells loaded into the polymer scaffold combined with neurotrophins (BDNF and NT4).
15. (A. Ramon-Cueto), Valencia, Spain - olfactory ensheathing cells from bulbus olfactorius.
16. Drexel University College of Medicine (I. Fischer), Pennsylvania, U.S.A. - neural stem cells: BMSC + skin cells (fibroblasts) combined with growth factors.
17. Hebrew University, Israel - embryonic stem cells.
18. NTT Project (J. McDonald), Columbia - using of person's own DNA and embryonic stem cells.
19. Rathbone, Canada - enteric glial cells.
20. Ankara Turkey - adult stem cells (Klienbloesom)
21. Brisbane Australia - OEC's
22. Poland - OEC's
23. Neuraxo Biotec - Germany, ChordaChron

Acutes:

1. Tulane's Center for Gene Therapy (Prockop), U.S.A. - stem cell therapy.
2. Bioaxone (L. McKerrarcher), Canada - recombinant C3.
3. Neuronyx, Inc., U.S.A. - human adult bone marrow-derived stem cells (hABM-SCs).
4. Novartis (M. Schwab), Zurich, Switzerland - Nogo antibody.
5. Aventis, India - HP184 (drug).
6. Oxford BioMedica (Malcolm Maden's group of King's College London), London, England - Innurex (product).
7. UC Irvine (H. Keirstead), U.S.A. - new antibody.
8. Johns Hopkins University (D. Kerr), U.S.A. - human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).
9. Neuraxo Biotec, G.m.b.H., Germany - Cordaneurin (drug).
10. Geron - USA, hESC

So, Dr. Young is bringing the most promising current therapies together in China this month to determine, via committee, the best of the best.

For example, people such as Dr. Zhang at the People's Provincial Hospital in Henan has transplanted cultured bone marrow stem cells by intrathecal injection in over 180 patients. Results have been positive, but not significant. These are only the ones I am aware of, there are probably others I know nothing about.

[spidergirl]

Schemky,

You are ever so clever. Thank-you for being so informative and teaching us newbies whats really goin on. I must say that I am going to bypass The U.S.A. because I dont think clinical trials will come to place for years. Geron is doin acute and that hurts. (if they can get it to trials).

Again thank the Lord for Dr. Young because based off what I see I think he is hungry to cure us and I know that the symposium is going to make history because surely from there an effective therapy should come to place.

Maybe instead of us all sitting around and chatting in these rooms we should all come together and push for more clinical trials in the U.S. We should "roll out" on the grass of the WHite House and lay on the grass until they decide that they will help us. I dont think they can arrest us all "paraplegics" ...haha or can they?

I am also sick and tired of people saying "well Christpher Reeves wasnt cured with all the resources he had so how do we expect it".

Dr. Young please please please make sure all the researchers at the symposium will leave knowing what needs to be done to cure us. I truly believe that if everyone puts there minds together and cure can be here much quicker. I know I am only 2 months post but it's already to long. :mad:

I am also very upset at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles for not giving me Dr. Youngs treatment immediately after my injury.

[chenchina]

Spidergirl,

It is not possible for one lab staffed by a relatively small number of people to discover and determine the many potential numbers of different combinations that could be tried on SCI.

The toxicology studies and dosages alone could take many many years to figure out. Add to that the difficulty of performing these experiments on chronically injured lab rats, which would make cost alone, a major consideration.

There are many labs worldwide working on various methods of recovery for chronics, these are a few I can recall:

1. King's College London (J. Fawcett / E. Bradbury), England - chondroitinase ABC.
2. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis (J. Guest), U.S.A. - human OEG from nasal mucosa combined with Rolipram.
3. Biogen (S. Strittmatter), U.S.A. - Nogo receptor blocker.
4. Dept. of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville (Xiao Ming Xu), U.S.A. - Schwann cells-bridging transplantation combined with GDNF and chondroitinase.
5. Craig Hospital in Englewood (S. Falci), U.S.A. & Karolinska Institute, Sweden - embryonic stem cells.
6. The Spinal Cord Society, U.S.A. - OECs combined with adult human stem cells.
7. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis (M. Bunge), U.S.A. - Schwann cell transplants combined with cAMP and Rolipram.
8. The ISRT (G. Raisman), England - autotransplantation of adult olfactory mucosal ensheathing glia.
9. The Reeve-Irvine Research Center (H. Keirstead), U.S.A. - human embryonic stem cells and human OECs.
10. NewNeural, Inc. (K. Sugaya), U.S.A. - adult stem cell therapy (human neurons from BMSCs).
11. StemCells, Inc., U.S.A. - human neural stem cells (hCNS-SC).
12. The Neurosurgery Clinic (W. Jarmundowicz), Wroclaw, Poland - human OEG.
13. University of Louisville (F. Roisen), U.S.A. - olfactory ensheathing cells.
14. Mayo Clinic (A. Windebank, Yaszemski), U.S.A. - Schwann cells loaded into the polymer scaffold combined with neurotrophins (BDNF and NT4).
15. (A. Ramon-Cueto), Valencia, Spain - olfactory ensheathing cells from bulbus olfactorius.
16. Drexel University College of Medicine (I. Fischer), Pennsylvania, U.S.A. - neural stem cells: BMSC + skin cells (fibroblasts) combined with growth factors.
17. Hebrew University, Israel - embryonic stem cells.
18. NTT Project (J. McDonald), Columbia - using of person's own DNA and embryonic stem cells.
19. Rathbone, Canada - enteric glial cells.
20. Ankara Turkey - adult stem cells (Klienbloesom)
21. Brisbane Australia - OEC's
22. Poland - OEC's
23. Neuraxo Biotec - Germany, ChordaChron

Acutes:

1. Tulane's Center for Gene Therapy (Prockop), U.S.A. - stem cell therapy.
2. Bioaxone (L. McKerrarcher), Canada - recombinant C3.
3. Neuronyx, Inc., U.S.A. - human adult bone marrow-derived stem cells (hABM-SCs).
4. Novartis (M. Schwab), Zurich, Switzerland - Nogo antibody.
5. Aventis, India - HP184 (drug).
6. Oxford BioMedica (Malcolm Maden's group of King's College London), London, England - Innurex (product).
7. UC Irvine (H. Keirstead), U.S.A. - new antibody.
8. Johns Hopkins University (D. Kerr), U.S.A. - human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).
9. Neuraxo Biotec, G.m.b.H., Germany - Cordaneurin (drug).
10. Geron - USA, hESC

So, Dr. Young is bringing the most promising current therapies together in China this month to determine, via committee, the best of the best.

For example, people such as Dr. Zhang at the People's Provincial Hospital in Henan has transplanted cultured bone marrow stem cells by intrathecal injection in over 180 patients. Results have been positive, but not significant. These are only the ones I am aware of, there are probably others I know nothing about.

hi, I hope you'd better not forget Dr. Huang's clinical work in this area, thanks.:) I have known much information of Dr. Huang from Beijing, China from Pal.;) Maybe you can also get more information about him through Pal.:p :p

[George78]

Hi everyone,
Does anyone can confirm that the procedure of Prof. Raisman does *not* concern CNS but only spinal roots?...If so, is there any OEG injected into the spine or not?... Where are they injected?... If OEG are injected into the spinal cord, isn't it pretty ridiculous to inject *only* to promote spinal roots sprout?... Why doesn't Prof. Raisman inject both for spinal roots *and* spinal injuries?...
I hope that Prof. Raisman understands that, for us, the question is not to publish a beautifull paper in peer review, but to get better and recover as much as possible, as soon as possible...
Thankz
George

[Leif]

George,
Seams like they are trying to fix nerve fibres (axons) in general, so I guess they will try to fix them within the cord as well.

We will know during or after the symposium Dr. Young is conducting in Hong Kong due to Prof Geoffrey Raisman will be there as well – he will most likely talk about this procedure there. Leif

[pal]

The conference mainly on spinal cord injury conducted by Dr. Wise Young will be held in Hong Kong this week. This is so good and important meeting on the CNS repair and recovery. Looking forward to meeting the famous neuroscientists all over the world including Wise, Raisman and the great clinical doctors including Dr. Huang, Dr.Mackay-Sim and Dr. Guest et al there soon. Hope there will be a good discussion and new wish about the advance of this hard area.

[pal]

Dear Christopher Paddon,


In my opinion, I am so sorry to tell you that I believe the people who are taking a very superficial view of the situation is you, not me!
Could you please let me know what is difference between the clincial work carried out by Dr. Huang in Beijing (2001) with the coming clinical trial will be performed by Geoffrey Raisman next year (England, 2006 or 2007). According your viewpoint, maybe you mean this OEG cells is not that OEG cells, are they?
By the way, I know some about the work of Mackay-Sim. I think the cells he used is almost as same as the cells tranplanted by Dr. Huang.
Someone dared not face the truth, went so far as to disregard the facts of some doctors.
However, I sincerely hope you become braver enough to face the truth and accept it.
That is just a piece of cake and trully mean nothing, I just hope more and more real honest scientists and clinical doctors do more and more research work including basic and cinical area for the patients sufferring from spinal cord injury all over the world.

Sincerely,
Pal

[George78]

Pal, thanks a lot for your post, but I think you don't know there's a very big difference between the works carried out by both Dr. Huang and Dr. Alan Mackay-Sim. The first one is using *foetal* materiel coming from aborted foetuses, the second one is using mucosa taken from patient's nose himself. On every aspects, we have a huge difference. (ethical, rejection of implanted cells...) For Prof. Raisman, I don't the source of the material he will work with, so I wish Prof. Raisman will clarify the situation. Anyway, Leif, I think that therapy will be very interesting for those suffering from cauda equina injury...
Thanks
George

[pal]

Pal, thanks a lot for your post, but I think you don't know there's a very big difference between the works carried out by both Dr. Huang and Dr. Alan Mackay-Sim. The first one is using *foetal* materiel coming from aborted foetuses, the second one is using mucosa taken from patient's nose himself. On every aspects, we have a huge difference. (ethical, rejection of implanted cells...) For Prof. Raisman, I don't the source of the material he will work with, so I wish Prof. Raisman will clarify the situation. Anyway, Leif, I think that therapy will be very interesting for those suffering from cauda equina injury...
Thanks
George
George, thanks a lot for your discussion about the OEGs transplant for the treatment of spinal cord injury. As we all know, there are about over 4000 parkinson’s disease patients have already received the cells transplant derived from aborted foetuses all over the world including America, Europeon, China, etc till to now.
Maybe my knowledge on the OEG cell is too limited, but I still believe the effect of OEG cell for the SCI is almost same, no matter it come from the fatus or from nose.
In additonal, the brain and spinal cord is special organ according the immunological aspect, and there is still many controversy about the possibility and degree of immunological rejection from acceptor to the the transplanted donor cell.
To my knowledge, half of PD patient have not taken the immunodepressant after transplantation and the outcome look like similar to others.
Of couse, I also would like to see the cell match, immunodepressant, and other strategies will be used by doctors soon and hope can keep the cells live for a long time and give the patient more help.
Sincerely,
Pal:)

[Max]

New Spinal Repair Unit Opens

PRESS RELEASE
10 January 2006

New Spinal Repair Unit Opens

An imminent medical breakthrough in the treatment of paralysis (paraplegia and tetraplegia) is anticipated in Professor Geoffrey Raisman’s lecture: Repairing the Spinal Cord: Ripples of an Oncoming Tide. This inaugural lecture will be given at 5.30 pm on Wednesday 11th January at the Wolfson Lecture Theatre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N. This is also the official opening of the UCL Spinal Repair Unit.

The Lecture has proven to be very popular, and all tickets for it have now been allocated.

Professor Raisman’s team recently moved into the new Spinal Repair Unit at the Institute of Neurology, UCL. Their work with adult stem cells harvested from the brain’s olfactory system (which gives us our sense of taste and smell) holds out hope for the 40,000 people in the UK who are paralysed by spinal cord injury. In laboratory work the cells have repaired damage in the brain and spinal cord restoring some degree of function.

These specialised stem cells will be used in pre-clinical safety trials on a number of paralysed volunteers during 2006. At the moment plans are to operate on partially paralysed people. This will be a group who have lost movement and sensation in one arm and shoulder because the peripheral nerves have been torn from their roots in the spinal cord (usually through motorbike accidents). If there is success with re-implanting the nerves along with these cells so that the patients have some restoration of sensation, the operation will have given some idea of effectiveness as well as safety.

The work at the Spinal Repair Unit is entirely supported by charitable donations and Spinal Research is one of the leading funders. Professor Raisman has held grants from Spinal Research since 1986 and the charity is delighted that its long-term support has helped him progress to the present position on the verge of clinical trials for spinal cord repair therapies that will revolutionise the lives of those paralysed now and in the future.

Professor Roger Lemon, Director of the Institute of Neurology and Chairman of the Spinal Research Scientific Committee said “This is an important day for Spinal Research, and represents the culmination of many years of basic research that has now led to the beginnings of a clinical treatment for spinal injury. It is also a tribute to the hard work of the many spinal injured patients and their supporters who have raised the funds that supported this research and the new UCL Unit at the Institute of Neurology.”

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