Although stem cell grafts hold promise for the treatment of spinal cord injuries, their effectiveness is limited by the ability of the cells to become fully functional neurons. A new study suggests that combining stem cell grafts with rehabilitation may help improve the outcome for patients with spinal cord injuries.
Researchers took two groups of rats that had been surgically induced with a spinal cord injury. One group received a stem cell graft and intensive rehabilitation, while the other group received no stem cells and only underwent rehabilitation.
The rats that received the stem cell graft showed greater motor function and improved movement coordination than the rats that received no stem cells. Additionally, the rats that received the stem cell graft had greater numbers of new neurons and grew more new connections between neurons than the rats that did not receive stem cells.
The study suggests that stem cell grafts combined with rehabilitation may help improve the outcome for patients with spinal cord injuries. The findings may also help inform the development of new treatments for spinal cord injuries.
A new study has found that a combination of stem cell grafts and rehabilitation can boost results for people with spinal cord injuries.
The study, which was conducted by a team of international researchers, looked at a group of 28 patients who had all sustained a complete spinal cord injury.
Half of the patients in the study received stem cell grafts, while the other half received a placebo.
The stem cell grafts were taken from the patients’ own bone marrow and transplanted into the site of their injury.
After the transplantation, all of the patients underwent a course of intense rehabilitation.
The results of the study showed that the patients who received the stem cell grafts showed significantly greater improvements in their motor and sensory function, compared to the patients who received the placebo.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Claudia Brunelli, said that the findings could have “major implications” for the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
“This is the first study to show that a combination of stem cell transplantation and intense rehabilitation can lead to significant improvements in patients with complete spinal cord injuries,” she said.
“The results of this study provide new hope for people with this debilitating condition.”
The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
