Nerve Cell Regeneration Spinal Cord Injuries

An illness genetic screening will never predict…. Who is effected –82% Male –Common Age per Capita –Average Age is 26 –53% Single Average Lifetime Cost –$950,973 Leading Causes –Motor Vehicle Accidents –Sports –Violence –Falling Full Recovery –0.9% Statistics provided by The National Spinal Cord Injury Association

How it Happens... Primary –immediate cell death Secondary –In flow of Ca + –Release of Free Radicals –Inflammation Why can’t it just grow back? –During cell maturity nerve cells lose the ability to proliferate

*Chart was located from the Miami Project Homepage Step by Step

The Nerve Cell Structure Nerve Cell Body Axons Dendrites Myelin Sheath

A Little More Detail Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous System

Types of Cell Damage Nerve Cell Death Disruption of Nerve Pathways Demyelination

Myelin Sheaths Composed of layers of membrane that surround the axon Work as an insulator for neurotransmitters These membranes are produced by Oligodendrocyte cells. Oligodendria doe not regrow.

Schwann Cells Stimulate Regeneration Not located in the CNS Isolated in Peripheral Nerves Placed into Guidance Channels Myelin?

Possible Therapies Blocking of myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) with monoclonal antibodies –IN-1 and NT3 (Dr. Martin Schwab) Growth Factors –fibroblast growth (FGF) –brain-derived neurotrophic (BGF) –epidermal growth (ENF) –insulin-growth (IGF)

Therapies Continued Cellular Adhesion Molecule –L1 –combines both growth factor stimulation and and anti-axonal growth inhibitor Transgenic Mouse (Melitta Schachner) –astrocytes express L1 –optic nerves regenerated

Possible Therapies 4-amino-pyridine –creates an action in certain ion channels –encourages messaging carrying –overstimulates the nervous system –small clinical Trials –effective bird poison

Transplantation of Fetal Cells Graft nerve cells that can integrate and mature into the nervous system Definite ethical complications –Donor? –unspecialized stem cells –generation of cell lines –rodents On January 11,1997 the first human nerve transplant occurred

The Final Slide Thank You