Wikimedia, Anna UtehinaTaking cells from the back of the nasal cavity of pet dogs with spinal injuries and transplanting them into the site of injury restored some movement in most of the 23 animals tested. With the help of a supporting harness, some were even able to walk on a treadmill. Before the surgery, the dogs had no use of their back legs.
“Our findings are extremely exciting because they show for the first time that transplanting these types of cell into a severely damaged spinal cord can bring about significant improvement,” co-author Robin Franklin, a regeneration biologist at the Wellcome Trust-MRC Stem Cell Institute, told BBC News.
The olfactory system is the only part of the body where nerve fibers continue to grow and replicate into adulthood. In particular, olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), which surround the smell receptor neurons and promote neuron replacement, are being researched as possible therapeutics for spinal cord injury.
The OECs from the dog’s nasal cavity linings were removed and expanded in culture for several weeks, then transplanted back into site of injury in the spine. These dogs were compared with 11 control ...
