New Technique May Repair Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries affect up to 500,000 people each year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Severe cases can leave individuals unable to care for themselves fully, and most patients have little to no chance of recovering their lost functionality.

Given the permanent nature of many spinal cord injuries (SCI), researchers have struggled to find effective treatments, but avenues have been limited. A recent discovery could offer many injury sufferers hope of once again recovering some of their lost abilities.

SCI and Permanence

Spinal cord injuries usually occur due to physical trauma, most commonly the result of car crashes, other accidents, or even violent acts. Once the bones have pinched the nerves and caused damage to the spinal cord itself, damage can be permanent. Our bodies can repair damage to some types of nerves, leading only to temporary loss of function, but that's not the case for many.

When the damage occurs in the central nervous system, such as the optic nerve or spinal cord, the nerves will not regenerate their axons, the parts of the cells that allow them to communicate with their neighbors. Without new axons, there is no recovery of function.

New Ability to Heal

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But researchers found inflammation caused by a compound the immune system produces, interleukin-6 (IL-6), naturally triggers axon growth in damaged optic nerves. Tests on animal models have determined IL-6 can trigger optic nerve repair, potentially reversing some causes of blindness. The effects have been promising, but the benefits haven't been impressive enough for experts to consider expanding upon the research until recently.

A new technique recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature applies IL-6 directly to damaged spinal cord nerves. Early tests on mice have shown significant recovery in hind leg function after full crushing injury to the spinal cord. Researchers believe these or similar techniques might apply to repairing damage from spinal cord injuries and central nervous system diseases in humans. Future work in this area will determine whether the technology can apply to mammals beyond rodents.

Incredible recoveries from SCI could soon be possible. Current advances may open doors many injury victims have believed long closed. We’ll stay on the lookout for updates on clinical trials, which would be the next step in determining whether this treatment is a safe and effective option to use in humans.

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