IRVINE - Drugs that block the body's inflammation response to spinal cord injury could increase the chances of recovery, UC Irvine researchers said today in announcing results of testing on laboratory rats.
The body's immune response to the initial trauma worsens the injury by releasing cells that induce inflammation, according to UCI neurologist Hans Keirstead.
"While the primary tissue damage caused by the initial spinal trauma cannot be reversed, we've discovered that the secondary damage caused by immune responses can be prevented, which gives those who suffer these injuries hope for recovery," Keirstead said.
Keirstead and immunologist Thomas Lane created anibodies that, when tested on rats, stopped the secondary nerve and spinal cord damage, resulting in significant improved rates of recovery, Keirstead said.
"The difference in mobility between the treated and untreated rats was dramatic," Keirstead said. "It points to the necessity of treating people with antibodies immediately after their spinal cord injuries, as part of both regular trauma care and their recovery program."
The men, principals in Ability Biomedical Corp., recently created a human antibody, based on the one used in the study, to be used in future clinical trials.
Results of the study appear in the November issue of Experimental Neurology.