Stem Cell-Based Phase I Trial to Repair Spinal Cord Injuries Produces Encouraging Res

[FellowHawkeye]

C5-7 leaves me out. A greater "risk" would've been higher c injuries like mine!

[GRAMMY]

C5-7 leaves me out. A greater "risk" would've been higher c injuries like mine!

This is the criteria list they agreed upon for this particular Phase 1 trial for Neuralstem. That is also where the FDA started the Asterias company at. Unfortunately it won't fit every injury level and time point since injury, but this is what the FDA has allowed them to test on. Future trials may have different criteria altogether. People who are injured at the C5-C7 typically have some use of their hands and arms. C4 level are typically paralyzed from the neck down and need constant help.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01772810

For instance, up until now, Asterias has been treating people who have injuries at the C5-C7 level, those are the lowest levels of the cervical spine, near the base of the neck. Now they are able to treat people with injuries at the C4 level, that's not only higher up the neck but it's also the second most common form of SCI. This change to Asterias says it was a vote of confidence from the FDA in that company's AST-OPC1 stem cell therapy. In the later trial, Asterias was also allowed to expand their post injury time window and the volume amount of cells being injected. FWIW...Ed Wirth is killing it for the Asterias Company. His experience throughout the Geron trial has paid off well.

The two company's cell types are vastly different (NSC-566 vs. AST-OPC1) so what they want the stem cells to perform are entirely different from each other.

[George78]

been reading repeated articles like this since my injury in 2010 and hats off for those who did 20-30 even 40yrs ago... Took me a while to realize but to me now its Like Hollywood gossip, free publicity to star power, keep the hype to a comfort zone and get rich off our backs (pun intended) All talk no action, playing with SCInjured's wishfull thinking as well as their family's and friend's. I won't be surprised in 20-30 years we'll still read sitting down these "breakthroughs".

Moe I've been reading repeated articles like this since my injury in 1978. In 1982 in travelled to Washington DC to be involved in a surgery with neurosurgeon Dr. Carl Kao, the surgery was autologous transplantion of schwann cells in spinal cord, he has done a lot of patients in the 80ies. Now I've spend 40 years watching phase 1 stories, it hardly ever goes to phase 2, and it always disappears before phase 3..
In 40 years there has been some progress of course, but when I look what happened the last 40 years I guess we will need another 80 or 120 years before something serious will be available. But no problem, I will be waiting :-)

[Lyerly]

Moe I've been reading repeated articles like this since my injury in 1978. In 1982 in travelled to Washington DC to be involved in a surgery with neurosurgeon Dr. Carl Kao, the surgery was autologous transplantion of schwann cells in spinal cord, he has done a lot of patients in the 80ies. Now I've spend 40 years watching phase 1 stories, it hardly ever goes to phase 2, and it always disappears before phase 3..
In 40 years there has been some progress of course, but when I look what happened the last 40 years I guess we will need another 80 or 120 years before something serious will be available. But no problem, I will be waiting :-)

How is this different from what The Miami Project has finally attempted to do for chronics after 30 years of existence and fundraising galas?

[GRAMMY]

How is this different from what The Miami Project has finally attempted to do for chronics after 30 years of existence and fundraising galas?

The Schwann cells were inside a peripheral nerve graft being used as relay. Here is a thread with various links explaining the work of Kao. There are many threads at carecure discussing this work from years ago.

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?39640-Carl-Kao-s-Surgical-Procedures-in-Ecuador

[Moe]

Moe I've been reading repeated articles like this since my injury in 1978. In 1982 in travelled to Washington DC to be involved in a surgery with neurosurgeon Dr. Carl Kao, the surgery was autologous transplantion of schwann cells in spinal cord, he has done a lot of patients in the 80ies. Now I've spend 40 years watching phase 1 stories, it hardly ever goes to phase 2, and it always disappears before phase 3..
In 40 years there has been some progress of course, but when I look what happened the last 40 years I guess we will need another 80 or 120 years before something serious will be available. But no problem, I will be waiting :-)

I hear ya! I get the feeling like all those years of fundraising for research benefited everybody involved except for the injured. That's why I predict now that I'll never see this "cure" for the injured in my lifetime.... It will kill the market.

[George78]

May be scientists are afraid of us because we set the bar too high. Real cure of such injury will certainly be possible in several decades, but in the meantime we can get better today, I guess we shouldn't ask for the cure, we should ask to get better, for some relief..

[Moe]

maybe for the same reason in comparison that in 2018 we're still using pollutive fossil fuels and not free renewable energy... too much money & power involved.

Yeah, I believe it's more gadgets or meds to improve our lifestyle to be more realistic since it keeps the market going with sales, maintenance and taxed. I read this story of an inventor from a poor village who got killed because he successfully modified his car engine to run on water (Hydrogen) Makes sense the big threat he became that got him killed.

[FellowHawkeye]

I'm very much looking forward to the Phase 2 trial! I wonder how long it might take for it to begin?? Will it include physical therapy?