Scientists are hoping that a new treatment to regenerate nerves in patients with a spinal cord injury could lead to a breakthrough in helping people who are paralysed.
A team at the University of Bristol has successfully transplanted genetically modified cells in rodents to trigger nerve regeneration.
The procedure has been shown to secrete a treatment molecule that is effective at removing the spinal cord scar, which typically limits recovery by blocking nerve regrowth.
There is currently no cure for spinal cord injury or treatment to help nerve regeneration, so therapies are limited.
People with severe spinal cord injuries can remain paralysed for life and this is often accompanied by incontinence.
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The team, led by Dr Liang-Fong Wong and Dr Nicolas Granger, took cells from the 'smell system' and genetically modified them to secrete a treatment enzyme known as chondroitinase ABC (ChABC).
This treatment enzyme is key in breaking down the glial scar at the injury point of the spinal cord and helping to promote nerve regrowth.
The team were able to demonstrate the successful secretion of the ChABC enzyme and removal of some of the glial scar in rodents.
Dr Wong, from the Bristol Medical School, said the study provided evidence that a treatment could be developed to repair the spinal cord.
"While these initial results look promising, in order to determine the longer-term survival of our genetically modified cells and assess functional recovery, such as recovery of walking or recovery of continence, we need to carry out further studies to test these cell transplants in more chronic injury models," she said.
Dr Granger, from the Bristol Veterinary School, added: "Taking this therapy further, for example by applying it to companion dogs that are naturally affected by spinal cord injury and remained paralysed, could help improve recovery of walking in these dogs in the longer term and pave the way for this approach to be applied to human spinal cord injuries."
