Spinal Cord Injuries And Stem Cell

Since the ancient time, spinal cord injuries were one of the most difficult conditions to be treated. The earliest record of treatment was found in an Egyptian papyrus manuscript in 1700 B.C. According to this manuscript, the ailment is not to be treated. Spinal cord injuries usually resulted in paralysis, and those patients in the past were destined to die.

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What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Spinal cord acts as a gateway between the brain and the body. It has soft tissues which are protected by hard bones. Nevertheless, it can still be dislocated and broken in many ways. The severity of the injury will determine significant physiological consequences.

Catastrophic falls which crushes the vertebrae in the neck can cause paralysis for the most parts of the body, called quadriplegia. Car accidents often compress or crush the spinal cord in the middle back. Paralysis of the lower body is called, âParaplegiaâ.Â Knife or gunshot wounds can also cut the cord and crate life-long disabilities.

Up until the 2nd World War, spinal cord injury usually results in death. Secondary complications like blood clots or breathing problems are common. Â Fortunately, today, treatment and rehabilitation can restore some of the limited abilities.

Advances in medicine give patients and doctors hope that there will be a cure. Genetic and stem cell biology help doctors understand how cells work with each other. Â Clinical studies have shown that bone marrow stem cell transplant can stimulate growth of blood vessels, improve blood flow, and increase oxygen supply.Â Stem cell therapy is found to improve the patientâs quality of living.

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Stem Cell Facts

Stem cell has received tremendous attention from the press and media lately. Many medical researchers believe in its remarkable potential. Â Some believe that it will be one of the most important medical discoveries in the history. What are stem cells? Stem cells are cells that have ability to regenerate themselves through the process of mitotic cell division. More...