Spinal Trials To Begin

Spinal Trials To Begin Rate Topic:

#1 Guest

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Posted 01 March 2006 - 10:18 AM

I found this in a paper the other week listen to this.... Drugs with the potential to help people with spinal injuries regain use of their limbs couls soon be tested on humans. The two antibodies block a protein called Nogo that stops severed nerves sprouting new connections.

In experiments they have already helped rats with damaged spinal cords to walk again. The antibodies triggered regeneration of the thread like extensions called Axons that connect Neurons. After treatment the rats were able to swim, cross the rungs of a ladder and walk along a narrow beam.

There had been fears that the drugs might spark off uncontrolled re-wiring of nerves, but that does not appear to of happend.

The ground-breaking work is being conducted by researchers led by Dr Martin Schwab from the university of Zurich in Switzerland.

They are now developing antibodies that are suitable for humans in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Novartis, New Scientist magazine reported today. Clinical trials are planned. Commenting on the research, Neurologist Dr Robin Franklin from Cambridge University said: "There is sufficient experimental evidence to view these trial with some optimism".

#2 rollerbaby84

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Posted 05 March 2006 - 11:42 PM

I have to wonder what this "cure" actually entails. Seems like everyone has this rosey picture of this miraculous recovery where you swallow a pill and rise and walk. Yeah, right. I don't mean to put a gray lining behind anyone's silver cloud but come on, be realistic. I have sat for over 22 years and I don't have any deformity from muscle contractures, however standing flatfooted after not doing so for a few weeks let alone many years results in tendon shrinkage to the point of needing surgical attention if you are ever not going to walk on your tip toes. Then you have the tendons and muscles between our torsos and legs. My injury is low so maybe you all don't feel this but I can feel those muscles at night when I lay down. I have had tendon releases electively done 5 or 6 times just so I could be more comfortable. What I'm trying to say is, I don't think my body would stretch far enough for me to stand up if there were so some sort of pill that granted it so. Anybody else ever wondered about that? Maybe I should just assume that treatment would only be for new or early injuries?? Anybody ever heard any talk of what "cure" means???

#3 Guest

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Posted 16 March 2006 - 01:46 PM

This is a link to the article
http://www.newscient...925384.000.html

I believe the antibody therapy is to be used along side Dr Raismen's therapy at UCL. It is just a part of many treatments to be used in conjunction with each other.

So not a cure on its own, but perhaps another stepping stone to improvement?!

Certainly interesting information.

#4 bubbleandsqueak

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Posted 16 March 2006 - 10:26 PM

Quote

I have to wonder what this "cure" actually entails.

Well I can't tell you what they mean by cure, but I can tell you what my thoughts are about this.

When I thank about walking and doing things "the old way" I get scared.

Maybe it's because the change to a wheel chair was hell, it was vary hard for me to get used to I’ve had a good mind set about the hole thing from the vary fist min I woke up, I knew with out any one telling me and the wired thing is no one really did tell me.
The change was a challenge and a hard one at that and I just don't
want to go threw any thing like it ever age and I guess I just think
that the change back would be just as hard if not harder. And I
just don't want to do any thing like that ever age.

Or maybe it's because I’m scared that my mind set would change. Being paralyzed really changed my mind. Changed as in I’m more open to talk to just about any one about any thing, other then that I was always open to new things.

But I wouldn't mind getting back felling, but it just scares me to thank about making things back the old way.

..........Chris, T3 complete paraplegic..........
..........One Day I’ll Be Free, Free To Be Anything I Want To Be, Until That Day You’ll See What They Want Me To Be ..........
..........It's Better To Be Hated For Who You Are Than Loved For Who Your Not..........

#5 AHolland

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Posted 16 March 2006 - 11:30 PM

There are obviously two points to healing. Fixing the specific damage, and fixing the collateral damage. Collateral damage being things like wastage of muscles, toghtening of tendons, loss of bone mass etc.

While they may be able to effectively rejoin the severed nerves (or some large portion of them), there would not be the associated repair of the collater damage. People that are relatively new to the injury would probably regain close to full function, while those that had been disabled for a long time would need years of physio therapy and then still show signs of incomplete healing. One big benefit to those longer term people would be regaining function of internals. Things like bowels/bladder. These items are still used by us, but have been put in a sluggish or partially controlled state. That in it's self may be a great gain in quality of life. I do not think that being in a wheelchair is that bad. It's all the associated thinks like a 3 hour bathroom routine/leg bags etc that kill me.

I would caution that a lot of the early work would not have the bugs worked out of it and in my own opinion, people should not rush out to try the first generations of medicines or surgery. Oh, how it would kill us to see the holy grail in front of us, but not to touch it. Just like early eye surgery. People that adopted that early had a fair percentage that did damage to themselves and because of the surgery, could not go back a second time to retry.

In my humble opinion it will still be quite a few years before a "cure" will come. It's getting close. Keep your bodies lean, trim and ready to go. But, beware jumping on before all the bugs have been worked out. For now, I go to weekly exercise programs at the local university and try to keep the legs moving and limber.

T4/T5

#6 carbar

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Posted 16 April 2006 - 08:28 PM

A cure for chronic SCI could come in many different forms, and not necessarily all result in 'walking'. Significant restoration of motor and sensory function for a quad could mean use of hands and arm muscles resulting in independence and a vast improvement in quality of life; significant restoration of motor and sensory function in a para could result in return of bowel & bladder function. As others have stated it is often the disfunction or lack of independence that comes with paralysis that is more frustrating and difficult to deal with day in day out.

#7 erickk

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Posted 01 July 2006 - 10:25 PM

This news is great.I have new hope.I also worry when a cure is found that i wont have money to get it,does anybody else have this concern?

#8 erickk

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Posted 01 July 2006 - 10:28 PM

erickk, on Jul 1 2006, 10:25 PM, said:

This news is great.I have new hope.I also worry when a cure is found that i wont have money to get it,does anybody else have this concern?

#9 erickk

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Posted 01 July 2006 - 10:30 PM

erickk, on Jul 1 2006, 10:28 PM, said:

erickk, on Jul 1 2006, 10:25 PM, said:

This news is great.I have new hope.I also worry when a cure is found that i wont have money to get it,does anybody else have this concern?

#10 LadyPilot

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Posted 02 July 2006 - 08:35 AM

erickk, on Jul 1 2006, 11:25 PM, said:

This news is great.I have new hope.I also worry when a cure is found that i wont have money to get it,does anybody else have this concern?

Are you in the UK?

I guess all newly injured (within 5 years) would get it free on the NHS.

Those like me (over 20years) would have to be assessed physically and mentally to see if it would benefit us.

If you don't want to die, your life still has meaning.