Medical research is exploring different angles to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. Studies have shown that damaged axons and high levels of fibrinogen can inhibit neuron repair. While there is optimism, a single cure is unlikely, and it may take time to find a solution.
For many years it was thought that regeneration of the spinal cord was not possible. Paralysis, often caused by spinal cord damage, was probably permanent, and many people’s lives were forever altered by a spinal cord injury. This is still the case today, but what has changed is the degree of optimism many people have about the possibility one day of using medical techniques to repair spinal cord injuries and restart damaged nerves that have lost function after they an injury has occurred.
It is doubtful that a single researched element will provide the cure for spinal cord regeneration and that what will actually happen is that the shared evidence from many research studies can ultimately point the way towards what needs to be done. This may still take some time, although everyone is united in the hope that doctors figure this out sooner rather than later. It is important to note that even if optimism exists, unless miraculous events occur, it is likely that people may need to wait and potentially there may be no cure for people whose injuries occurred some time ago.
The studies, which all point to as potentially encouraging in spinal cord regeneration medicine, include those that have highlighted the importance of the axon. This is a small section of each neuron that needs to communicate with other neurons to maintain full nerve cell function. Scientists now know that at least part of the problem with damaged spinal cords is that the axons have been damaged.
Another promising study was conducted at USCF in recent years and suggested that the area of the damage was not the only area of concern. By stimulating nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system, the researchers were able to stimulate new growth of neurons in the central nervous system and spinal cord. This study was in mice and hasn’t been duplicated in humans, but it was very important because it now shows that spinal cord regeneration is possible.
As important as it is to understand how to fix something, you may also need to understand why it won’t work. In the late 2000s, a study that could be used in medicine in the future evaluated fibrinogen, a blood clotting protein. It was found in people with damaged spinal cords that this protein was present in extremely high amounts and could inhibit the repair of neurons. There are ways to block the action of the protein and these could be indicated in future treatment.
These studies are just the tip of the iceberg and there are many that are still ongoing. Medical science continues to work hard on the issue of spinal cord regeneration, exploring the issue from different angles. One can only hope that their discoveries will soon bear fruit and that the human race will soon benefit from the recovery of wounds that were once thought to be incurable.
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