A team of scientists from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) has achievedreverse paralysis in dogsand restore movement of their limbs after injecting themin the spinal cordacell culture fromhis snout. Previously, it had been found that the cells used in the treatment (enveloping olfactory cells, known by the acronym OEC) allow the growth of nerve fibers that maintain the connection between the nose and the brain.
The experiment, the results of which have been published in the journalBrain, specialized in neurology, was carried out with 34 animals that had suffered spinal cord injury accidentally and were unable to walk on their hind legs. 23 of these dogs were injected with the cell culture in the damaged medullary area and the rest were administered a neutral fluid. According to the researchers, a month later, the majority ofthe dogs that received the transplant achieved a considerable improvement that allowed them to use their hind legs again and coordinate their movements with that of the front legson a treadmill, although none of them fully regained their mobility due to the injury.
? The results are exciting because they show for the first time that transplantation of such cells can achieve significant improvement in a severely damaged spinal cord ,? said Robin Franklin, an expert in regenerative biology at the Cambridge MRC Stem Cell Institute and co-author. from work. “We trust thatthe technique allows to restore at least part of the movements in patients with spinal cord damageAlthough there is still a long way to go before saying that this would make it possible to fully recover the lost functions “, adds Franklin, who believes that the collaboration between Veterinary Medicine and Regenerative Medicine could be very useful.
