Can a Cell Transplant Help Spine Injury Victims?

Sustaining a spine injury usually results in a major change in an individual’s life. The impact can be anywhere from mild to fatal depending on the severity of the injury. Individuals who live through such a traumatic event face major challenges on their road to recovery. They also face the fact that recovery may be severely limited, but now there may be hope for such victims.

Schwann Cell Replacement

Recently, there has been a possible breakthrough in treating spine injury. There is hope that introduction of Schwann cells, the cells that help with nerve development, may be able to regrow the spinal cord and restore function to affected muscles. These cells have been used in transplants for spine injury patients for many years.

Introducing a minimum of 15 million Schwann cells into the damaged part of the spinal cord is hoped to restore some function to spine injury patients. In FDA approved trials, it appears that there has been some success with the transplants.

Using the Patient’s Own Cells

Unlike some transplant procedures where the transplanted material comes from a donor other than the patient, Schwann cells are taken from the patient’s spine. Because of this, there is no need for medication that stops the patient’s body from rejecting the transplanted cells. The patient is not likely to reject his or her own Schwann cells as long as they are handled with care. Once removed from the spine, a certain protocol must be followed to ensure that the cells do not become contaminated during any stage of the procedure.

Hope for Spine Injury

Every year thousands of people are faced with spinal cord injury. The participants in the clinical trials for Schwann cell replacement will be studied for a number of years after their transplant operation. Hopefully, the success that has been achieved thus far will last and perhaps even increase. For those suffering with spine injury, even a small improvement in function can mean a world of difference.

Researchers and surgeons will continue to study Schwann cells and seek the best methods for using them to repair spine injury. Perhaps some day the impact of spine injury on an individual’s life may be minimal thanks to Schwann cell transplants.

Until that day arrives, those who have sustained spinal injury need help in their daily lives. Such help can be expensive and when the injury was cause through the negligence or willful act of another person, it only adds insult to injury. Among the many legal services provided by Tison Law Group, representation for personal injury is one. We take our clients’ cases seriously and we fight to help them get justice for the losses incurred.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of an accident or negligence and sustained injury, please contact our office located in Tampa, FL, for a consultation. We may be able to help you get compensation. Schedule your appointment with us today.