Dr Aileen J Anderson and Dr Brian J Cummings of the Reeve-Irvine Center at the University of California have presented promising results from a preclinical study that examined StemCells' human neural stem cell technology as a potential means of regenerating damaged nerve and nerve fibers in patients with spinal cord injuries at the Tenth Annual Conference of the American Society for Neural Transplantation and Repair, Florida. Injured mice transplanted with the investigational treatment hCNS-SC showed improved motor function in quantitative tests designed to measure functional recovery from complete hind limb paralysis to normal walking, in comparison with controls. A direct link has also been made between the amount of functional recovery and the level of human cell engraftment. Additionally, the hCNS-SC does not contribute to scarring due to glial cell proliferation, which normally inhibits neuronal cell growth and recovery.
"Loss of myelin, the insulator for nerve cells, is a significant problem after spinal cord injury. This data suggests that human neural stem cells could contribute to repairing the nervous system after injury, including the replacement of myelinating cells. We are very excited about the potential for this type of intervention for spinal cord injury," commented Dr Anderson in a statement.
"The potential significance of this study is that we may be able to help those with spinal cord injuries regain their mobility," said Martin McGlynn, president and CEO of StemCells. "This study elegantly demonstrates recovery of motor ability in a spinal cord injury model, resulting from the presence of human cells rather than spontaneous recovery of endogenous cells. While more testing is needed, we consider these recent findings very encouraging."