A team of researchers has successfully regenerated spinal tissue in rat models. Using a common antibiotic as the on/off switch, the therapy breaks down scar tissue and allows new nerve cells to grow, resulting in rats with spinal injuries relearning complex hand movements.
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Six people suffering varying degrees of paralysis have now regained the use of their hands and fingers after participating in a UCLA-led study of a nonsurgical, noninvasive spinal stimulation technique.
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Researchers at Dartmouth College have developed a handheld "wand" optical tracking system which it says makes back surgery faster, safer and cheaper. Described as "a Google Maps for the body," the system provides real-time 3-dimensional tracking to help guide the surgeon as they operate.
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There are some paraplegic rats that are now able to walk again, or that are at least coming close to doing so, and it's thanks to human stem cells. The cells essentially helped bridge a gap that scientists had introduced in the animals' spinal cords.
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Like many lizards, geckos can detach their tail in order to evade a predator, then regrow it complete with the spinal cord. Now, a scientist has discovered how they go about doing it. His findings could lead to improved treatment of spinal cord injuries in humans.
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An innovative combination of electrical spinal stimulation and physical therapy has allowed 26-year-old Jered Chinnock to intentionally move his legs for the first time in three years, after an accident left him paralyzed.
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Researchers at OSU are working on a way to restore movement to paralyzed patients by means of tiny arrays of implantable electrodes. The team has demonstrated the electrodes' potential in a cat, which provides hope not only for those with spinal cord injuries, but also people with prosthetic limbs.
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Researchers have developed a system that bypasses spinal injury by allowing the motor cortex to communicate wirelessly with the lower spine, and demonstrated that it can restore almost normal walking patterns in partially paralyzed macaques.
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Treatments for symptoms of spinal cord injuries may be a step closer, as researchers at UCSF have transplanted human neurons into mice with these injuries, and found that over time they made new connections in the spine, reducing chronic pain and helping the mice regain some bladder control.
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Using a specialized sleeve, his own mind and a brain-implant smaller than a pea, a man paralyzed from the neck down has regained the ability to handle a variety of everyday objects.
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