Paralyzed Rats Walk Again, Raising Hope for Humans
An experiment that has helped paralyzed rats to walk again has raised new hopes for patients with spinal cord injury.
Researchers used a combination of drug therapy, electrical stimulation and exercise training to enable rats with spinal cord injuries to walk and support their body weight, according to the study, which was published this week in Nature Neuroscience.
Previous studies have used embryonic stem cells to repair damaged spinal nerves, allowing paralyzed rats to regain some function. But rather than reconnecting the spinal system with the brain, the new research focuses on stimulating and retraining the existing sensory system below the level of the injury.
Today, I spoke with principal investigator Reggie Edgerton, a professor of neurobiology and physiological sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, to learn more about the research, what it means and when similar studies will be conducted in humans. Here’s our conversation. Read More....
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