SEARCH FOR A CURE: Molecule injections help repair spinal cord injuries in mice

While the majority of tissues in the human body can regenerate after injury, some of the most important ones can’t and in cases of spinal cord injuries, that includes axons, the long nerve fibers that pass signals between neurons. Axons are a crucial conduit for the brain to issue instructions to muscles, as well as for tissues to report back pain and other touch sensations. But despite their importance, axons don’t recover from damage, which is why spinal injuries are so debilitating. But now, researchers at Temple University have found that boosting a certain protein helps patch up axons, returning more movement and feeling to mice with spinal cord injuries.

The researchers observed a lot of axon regrowth, which could be very significant clinically, since there currently are no regenerative treatments for SCI. You can read more about this study HERE.