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Wednesday, May 26, 2004Researchers first inject the rats with Rolipram, a drug that stops the loss of a growth-enhancing chemical called cyclic AMP, which occurs just after a spinal cord injury. Researchers then take cells from the rats' peripheral nerves, grow those in the lab and transplant them into the injured area, followed by one-time injections of cyclic AMP above and below the transplant site. The injections raise the levels of cyclic AMP, enhancing the environment for the growth of nerve fibers, Bunge says. Naomi Kleitman of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says the strategy is a "significant advance over what has been reported before" and is "likely to be applicable clinically if the progress continues." The animals went from being able to take only occasional steps to walking in a coordinated way, with hind and fore paws working together... Fascinating. posted by Sydney on 5/26/2004 08:43:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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