Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) are caused by trauma to the spinal cord that impairs physical function, mobility or feeling. The majority of patients suffering from SCI have an intact spinal cord, but still have enough cellular damage to result in a loss of physical functioning.
Recent studies have focused on the use of adult stem cells for spinal cord injury patients. It has been discovered that introduction of mesenchymal stem cells either intralesionally or intravenously can be successful in improving functional recovery in chronic spinal cord injuries
One of the areas in which stem cell therapy has had the most success is with traumatic spinal cord injuries. These devastating injuries often cause severe neurological damage and patients often never fully recover. Fortunately, stem cell therapies can offer patients new options with increasingly positive outcomes.
The millions of cells that are transplanted in therapy are not only enough to revert the daily losses that have been occurring over the patient’s lifespan, but also able to cover cellular losses from trauma.
Stem cells are particularly useful in the regeneration of tissues that have poor potential for repair. More specifically, articular cartilage (found in elbows, knees, etc.) can’t be repair by the body, but nevertheless have short lifespans and wear out over time. Fortunately, stem cells (which orchestrate the body’s natural healing) have successfully been used to grow new articular tissue within joints. This treatment bypasses the need for painful and invasive joint replacement surgeries while significantly reducing recovery times.
Stem cells can also be used to regenerate the damaged tissue causing many bone, tendon, and ligament conditions. The transplanted cells naturally migrate to damaged areas in the body to replace damaged cells, regenerating lost or injured tissue.
