Research Links

DETROIT, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Hongyun Huang, from Beijing, China, will be speaking at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., on his promising research that has helped persons with spinal cord injuries recover function after paralysis. Huang will be presenting his work with cells called olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG). OEG are very unusual cells that normally reside in the olfactory nerve and bulb, the organs that carry olfactory information to the brain. The olfactory nerve is the only cranial nerve that continuously regenerates in adult mammals. At least half a dozen laboratories around the world have now reported that these cells will facilitate functional neural regeneration when transplanted to the brain or spinal cord.

Huang has transplanted OEG cells into the damaged spinal cords of over 150 patients. The procedure begins with the OEG cells being cultured then surgically injected into the spinal cord above and below the site of injury. Most of Huang's patients regain two levels of function and three to five levels of sensation within weeks of the surgery.

With its 94-bed hospital and 15 outpatient therapy sites throughout southeast Michigan, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) is one of the nation's largest hospitals specializing in physical medicine and

rehabilitation. The Institute was named by U.S. News and World Report, as one of "America's Best Hospitals" and is nationally recognized as a center of excellence for the treatment of brain injuries. A member of the Detroit Medical Center, RIM serves as the teaching and clinical research site for Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Source: Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan