Rib Nerves Help Reverse Spinal Cord Injury

By taking tiny nerves from the rib cage, mixing them with a growth factor (aFGF), and then inserting the mixture into damaged areas of a spinal cord in rats, researchers were able to improve leg function and reverse some of the effects of paralysis. The study was reported in the October 2002 issue of the Journal of Neurotrauma.

The researchers found that 12 rats with severed spinal cords were able to move their hind legs again after treatment with both the aFGF and the nerve grafts, while rats that had either the aFGF or nerve grafts alone showed nearly no improvement. Rats receiving both could support some of their weight on their back legs. The growth factor aFGF is normally produced in the spinal cord by nerve cells, but scientists suspect it is stored and only used when nerve cells are damaged.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI, USA), and the Long Beach Veterans Administration Medical Center (CA, USA.)

"We also found that the nerves in the leg below the injury site were once again receiving nerve impulses from the brain,” said Dr. Vernon Lin, professor of physical medicine at UCI. "We believe that eventually, we may be able to find the right mix of factors and physical stimulation all working together to improve this restored movement to more normal levels.”




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