SCI (Spinal cord injury)

Using stem cells to promote recovery from spinal cord Injury (SCI).

What is SCI

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a problem caused by a damage to the spinal cord, the damage could be a consequence from injury to the vertebrae, disks of spinal column, ligaments of the spinal cord itself,  the damage could be temporary or permanent, as the origin can be a physical impact such as a fall, an accident or a tumor or infection among others, damage affects the nerve fibers passing through spinal cord, signals from the brain cannot reach usual parts of the body, as consequence the muscles and nerves below the injury, can become impaired. 

SCI could cause loss of movement (Paraplegia or quadriplegia) , loss of bladder control, changes in sexual function, difficulty breathing or altered sensation, usually people cannot continue his life as usual, since simple daily tasks such as walking to the bathroom or driving become a challenge, as result of the diagnosis quality of life become dimished and social support become necesary, often familly and friends help patients to overcome dailly challenges.

As daily tasks become a challenge, mental health of patients are affected, self image, self esteem and perceived happiness diminish, patients often become depressed or anxious, counselling for patients and family is an important to overcome sequels of SCI. As the life of a patient changes, questions about the present and future appear, all the answers appear with time, there’s hope for patients depending on severity of the damage, treatments could help to recover functions, quality of life could increase greatly with correct interventions.

Traditional SCI treatment

First treatment usually involves putting the patient on a backboard with a special collar on the neck, to prevent further damage on the spinal cord, treatment may include surgery  to stabilize the spine or decompress the spinal cord, sometimes a realigning of the spine is necessary.

Recover body functions is influenced by the severity of the injury, a complete SCI unlikely regain regular functions on the body, incomplete SCI usually recover some degree of body functions over time, supportive care and rehabilitation is an effective intervention, depending on the severity of SCI, rehabilitation program could include skill building therapies, occupational therapy, counselling and physical therapy to increment independence and improve quality of life.

Stem Cell advantages for SCI treatment

The use of stem cells to repair injured spinal cord is a possible treatment, depending on the severity of damage of SCI, stem cells could help to modulate the injury environment and stimulate synergistic regenerative programmes, preclinical studies has used umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to promote the recovery of motor function, including coordinated walking, paw use and climbing, in addition to improved bladder function and phrenic nerve activity in animal models, transplanted cells can improve regeneration  by promoting axonal growth, factors secreted by transplanted cells can beneficially modulate the environment to promote regeneration.

Novastem treatment for SCI

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