Researchers have discovered that adult stem cells from the brain could be used to restore movement to paralysed patients. Experts say the breakthrough could lead to the creation of a spare set of matching cells which could then be used to “repair” damage to the spinal cord.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Japan, involved transplanting “neural stem cells” (NSCs) to mice with severe spinal cord injuries. They were then administered valproic acid, used to treat epilepsy. The acid promoted the transplanted stem cells to generate nerve cells rather than other types of brain cell.

According to Prof Kinichi Nakashima, who led the study, the method could be developed as an effective treatment for serious spinal cord injuries. “The body’s capacity to restore damaged neural networks in the injured… is severely limited,” he told the Telegraph. “Although various treatment regimens can partially alleviate spinal cord injury, the mechanisms responsible for symptomatic improvement remain elusive. These findings raise the possibility that (stem cells)… can be manipulated to provide effective treatment for spinal cord injuries.”

Tamir Ben-Hur from Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School, Israel, said that despite the study’s “impressive” results, further work was necessary “before it can be determined whether this approach will work in human patients”. ~ Telegraph, Aug 17