Treatments for spinal cord injuries are on the advance. Especially welcome is news that an assistant professor of bioengineering at UCLA is developing a treatment that could be groundbreaking for members of the spinal cord injury community. The new device has the potential "to make paralysis a phase rather than a lifestyle."
The Research
Stephanie Seidlits was given an award that enabled her to do research into a treatment that would use an innovative device to inject hyaluronic acid (or "HA") into the spinal cord.
Her research looks at the effects of hyaluronic acid-- a long chain of sugars in the body-- on spinal cord cells. By using an in vitro device, researchers aim to reproduce the cell atmosphere of an injured spinal cord and analyze how HA reacts to that environment.
The point of her research is to determine whether she can regulate how the cells react to fragments of HA to inhibit inflammation.
Possibilities On The Horizon
If the research and application turn out to be successful, that would give many paralyzed spinal cord injury patients hope that they could one day walk again.
Canadian Statistics
The Urban Futures Institute Report of 2010 reported the following about spinal cord injuries:
- There are 600 new spinal cord injuries every year in Ontario
- There are 1500 new spinal cord injuries per year in Canada
- An estimated 86,000 people are living with spinal cord injuries in Canada
If the new treatment proves effective, it would likely make its way to Canada and help Canadians heal from spinal cord injuries.
Gluckstein Lawyers are thrilled at the news of this new, potentially trailblazing treatment that could help relieve many individuals living with spinal cord injuries.
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