Cell therapy "returned hands" to paralyzed patient

m.nizhnik, LIKAR.INFO , based on Medical News Today: Stem cell therapy restores arm, hand movement for paralyzed man

In a car accident, 21-year-old Christopher Bosen suffered a serious spinal injury and was paralyzed below the neck. Doctors said that the young man would never be able to restore the mobility of his limbs, but scientists from the University of Southern California restored his hand movements with the help of experimental cell therapy.

Chris became a participant in clinical trials of a new therapy using AST-OPC1 , a drug consisting of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) that originate from embryonic stem cells. OPCs are myelin cells of the brain and spinal cord that help nerve cells function.

Preclinical tests of AST-OPC1 on models of damaged spinal cord have shown that the drug reduces the size of the injury cavity, restores the myelin coating of nerve cells, stimulates the growth of nerve cells and blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the injury site.

The doctors said Christopher would never be able to move.

In April 2016, Chris received an injection of AST-OPC1: 10 million cells were delivered directly to the cervical spinal cord. Improvements in motor function were observed already during the first 2 weeks of treatment, and after 3 months the young man was able to perform a number of everyday tasks: writing his name, hugging relatives, driving a motorized wheelchair, typing on a computer, brushing his teeth. The importance of such functional independence for paralyzed patients cannot be exaggerated.

After 3 months, Christopher was able to write his name,
hug your family, drive a motorized wheelchair.

The researchers do not guarantee whether Chris will ever be able to use his legs, but they are encouraged by the results, and hope that AST-OPC1 will continue to improve the quality of life of patients with spinal cord injury.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  09.09.2016