E-Paper
Paralysed dogs give hopt to treating humans beings
Scientists are hoping that a treatment that has helped paralysed dogs move could one day help humans.
Scientists are hoping a treatment that has helped paralysed dogs move could one day help humans.
By taking nerve cells from the dogs' brains and injecting them into the damaged part of the spinal cord, veterinary surgeons from the University of Cambridge treated nine dogs that were paralysed in road accidents and spinal cord injuries, reports science portal Newsfox.
Within a month, the dogs moved their hind leg jerkily, the surgeons said.
According to experts, the same benefits could be seen in humans. An Australian team has already treated humans with the olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG) cells present at the back of the dog's nose. But the results will not be published until 2007.
OEG cells are the only nerve cells capable of constant regeneration. They are collected by opening the dog's skulls, then multiplied in the lab and then injected into the spinal cord.
In addition to regaining some movement, the animals appeared to recover some sensation below the injury site - three can now warn their owners if they need to empty their bladder, although they have not regained control.
According to the researchers, there is no indication that the dogs can feel pain again, but they do not appear to be suffering pain from a severed nerve, which is a potential side effect of the treatment.
The team is looking for an alternative source of OEG cells as three of the dogs suffered seizures as a result of the surgery.
They have identified a form of stem cell found in the mucus of the nose, which can be collected simply by inserting a swab up the nose and may possibly be turned into OEGS in the lab.
"It is exceedingly improbable that one simple intervention alone will permit full recovery of locomotor activity (movement) after this type of extremely severe spinal injury," said Nick Jeffery, who worked on the University of Cambridge research.
"These findings in dogs are directly relevant to the human situation," another researcher said.
"Of course, we can't know for sure without doing the work, but it is a very good indicator that we can expect the same effects. We are hoping to start similar trials in humans within a couple of years."
