Structures responsible for synaptic stabilization in the spinal cord, 5 months after treatmentNATURE, W. ALILAIN, J. SILVER
A peripheral nerve graft and treatment with an enzyme blocker restored breathing in partially paralyzed rats. The finding, published today (July 13) in Nature, suggests that a similar technique could one day be used to treat quadriplegics, who usually need artificial respirators to breathe.
“This is the first study that has shown that after a cervical spinal cord injury you can improve breathing function from this paralyzed muscle by combining these two therapies,” said Wayne State Medical Center neuroscientist Harry Goshgarian, who was not involved in the study. The results also suggest that mixing the pair with additional treatments, such as electrical stimulation or other drugs, might bring even further improvement, he said.
For over a century, researchers have tried grafting long segments of nerve ...
