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Cancer drug facilitates recovery from spinal cord lesion
February 2nd, 2011 | Utrecht University
Taxol, an anticancer drug, facilitates the recovery of nerve cells after a spinal cord lesion in two ways, conclude a team of researchers that includes scientists from Utrecht University. The research results were recently published in the journal Science. Casper Hoogenraad, professor of cell biology at Utrecht University and leader of the Dutch part of the research was also awarded a Vici grant worth 1.5 million euros from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) last Tuesday. After a spinal cord lesion several factors hinder the recovery of the nerve cells, such as the cell skeleton (cytoskeleton) becoming unstable. The microtubules, small protein tubes that form the cell skeleton, in the damaged nerve cell become completely confused as a result of the spinal cord lesion. This blocks a structured growth of the cell. In addition to this, spinal cord lesion scar tissue develops where tissue was lost. This forms a barrier for the culture of new nerve cells. Now the researchers have demonstrated that Taxol, an anticancer drug, reduces both of these effects in rats. After just a few weeks, the animals exhibited a significant improvement in their movement. Advantages “Taxol has two advantages: it an approved drug and a lot is already known about its interactions with the human body”, says Prof. Casper Hoogenraad. “Moreover, during the treatment of spinal cord injuries, Taxol can be applied directly to the point of damage in a lower dose than is used for existing cancer treatment. This can reduce the side effects. A lot of research still needs to be done but these are highly promising results.” Publication Science, Microtubule Stabilization Reduces Scarring and Causes Axon Regeneration After Spinal Cord Injury, 27 January 2011, Hellal F, Hurtado A, Ruschel J, Flynn KC, Laskowski CJ, Umlauf M, Kapitein LC, Strikis D, Lemmon V, Bixby J, Hoogenraad CC, Bradke F. The researchers are working at Utrecht University, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology (Germany), the Kennedy Krieger Institute (US) and the University of Miami (US).
February 2nd, 2011 | Utrecht University
Taxol, an anticancer drug, facilitates the recovery of nerve cells after a spinal cord lesion in two ways, conclude a team of researchers that includes scientists from Utrecht University. The research results were recently published in the journal Science. Casper Hoogenraad, professor of cell biology at Utrecht University and leader of the Dutch part of the research was also awarded a Vici grant worth 1.5 million euros from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) last Tuesday. After a spinal cord lesion several factors hinder the recovery of the nerve cells, such as the cell skeleton (cytoskeleton) becoming unstable. The microtubules, small protein tubes that form the cell skeleton, in the damaged nerve cell become completely confused as a result of the spinal cord lesion. This blocks a structured growth of the cell. In addition to this, spinal cord lesion scar tissue develops where tissue was lost. This forms a barrier for the culture of new nerve cells. Now the researchers have demonstrated that Taxol, an anticancer drug, reduces both of these effects in rats. After just a few weeks, the animals exhibited a significant improvement in their movement. Advantages “Taxol has two advantages: it an approved drug and a lot is already known about its interactions with the human body”, says Prof. Casper Hoogenraad. “Moreover, during the treatment of spinal cord injuries, Taxol can be applied directly to the point of damage in a lower dose than is used for existing cancer treatment. This can reduce the side effects. A lot of research still needs to be done but these are highly promising results.” Publication Science, Microtubule Stabilization Reduces Scarring and Causes Axon Regeneration After Spinal Cord Injury, 27 January 2011, Hellal F, Hurtado A, Ruschel J, Flynn KC, Laskowski CJ, Umlauf M, Kapitein LC, Strikis D, Lemmon V, Bixby J, Hoogenraad CC, Bradke F. The researchers are working at Utrecht University, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology (Germany), the Kennedy Krieger Institute (US) and the University of Miami (US).
Url: http://www.utrechtli...nal-cord-lesion
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