Dr. Jan-Eric Ahlfors pushes forward with Regeneration Matrix

[GRAMMY]

The axon may know where to go:

Scientists Regenerate Nerve Fibers After Spinal Cord Injury

May 8, 2015 | by Josh L Davis

"By simulating crushed spines in lab rats, scientists at Tufts University School of Medicinehave been able to show that by treating the breakage with a specific protein already produced by the body, called artemin, they can encourage the damaged nerve fibers to grow an incredible 4 centimeters (1.5 inches). Not only that, after four weeks of treatment, the regenerated neurons were fully capable of passing signals along the whole length."


"But if you thought that the length of growth was incredible, the news doesn't stop there. Not only have they managed to achieve unprecedented growth from the nerve fibers, but they’ve also gotten them to ‘plug’ themselves back into their original places. So whilst older studies found that when the sensory nerves were regenerated they would often get muddled up and cross each other, when the researchers used artemin, the new nerves were able to find their way back to the right spot and connect up correctly."

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and...ensory-neurons

The thread posts from last year about the Tufts article: /forum/showthread.php?235012-Scientists-have-regenerated-nerves-after-spinal-cord-injury

[JamesMcM]

are yes I completely forgot about this, there's just never been any more information I wonder if any progress has been made

The thread posts from last year about the Tufts article: /forum/showthread.php?235012-Scientists-have-regenerated-nerves-after-spinal-cord-injury

haha ah yes I completely forgot about this, there's just never been any more information I wonder if any progress has been made

[Jyi]

The thread posts from last year about the Tufts article: /forum/showthread.php?235012-Scientists-have-regenerated-nerves-after-spinal-cord-injury

Thanks Grammy, you are appreciated.

[Jyi]

Wow this sounds amazing, if this could prove similar in humans that would be seriously amazing. Maybe one day we will just sit on our asses get an injection and walk in the next few days,no effort required,kind of takes the fight out of it but I'd take it..


Thanks for providing that, more encouraging research more to learn

JamesMcM, this is probably another auto connection:

May 2, 2016
Adult brain prunes branched connections of new neurons

LA JOLLA—When tweaking its architecture, the adult brain works like a sculptor—starting with more than it needs so it can carve away the excess to achieve the perfect design. That’s the conclusion of a new study that tracked developing cells in an adult mouse brain in real time……

http://www.salk.edu/news-release/adu...f-new-neurons/

[Nowhere Man]

Wouldn't even be comparable it's not only A little bit of Frequent mental effort with them they are actually physically fully attempt to it to the point of exhaustion (i've seen this firsthand with farm animals/ dear shot and paralyzed) and they will continue through exhaustion and right away once they recover, until they die, never stop especially with motivation such as cheese like they use with mice. no humans could even remotely achieve this especially with consistency. However Doug Smith is a fully recovered quadriplegic paralyzed in the early days in the NHL , He is a strong believer in visualization and "willing" yourself to move immediately and consistently injury. I don't believe it, however I do think visualization therapy has its place, and he had a bad injury mind you he did manage to fully recover more than I can say for myself! Took him three years. Regenerating spinal tissue to be his only part of "regenerating" a spinal injury resprouting of axons throughout the body is just as crucial if not more so, that's whereConstant functional rehabilitation is needed.especially considering an axon doesregrow knew the body probably won't know exactly how to use it right away. This topic has been covered by Dr. Young and other researchers

When you find the time, can you provide me with some papers or studies that have image evidence of regeneration in completely injured animals and also functional recovery? I'd like to see how their mental rehab guided these axons. Thanks.

[Nowhere Man]

The thread posts from last year about the Tufts article: /forum/showthread.php?235012-Scientists-have-regenerated-nerves-after-spinal-cord-injury

There is no convincing proof of regeneration in this study. A lot of conjecture. Imaging of axons growing at different time periods, towards the brain, would put the conjecture to rest. Very likely that these axons were spared or sprouted from spared axons.

[Fly_Pelican_Fly]

There is no convincing proof of regeneration in this study. A lot of conjecture. Imaging of axons growing at different time periods, towards the brain, would put the conjecture to rest. Very likely that these axons were spared or sprouted from spared axons.

Can you define what you mean by regeneration?

[Fly_Pelican_Fly]

It would save a lot of $$$ (I think it's the most expensive part of trial) to just tell the treatment subjects to go home and try to walk with your mind, instead of intense PT.

Interestingly I saw some unpublished data last year whereby an injured animal group that had received a gene-based intervention that were allowed to run about in an open field actually got functionally worse. However, the animal group that were confined to a smaller enclosure and given precise dosage of treadmill training functionally improved. Not the same mechanism as stem cells but worth noting when considering the value of precision training and synaptic plasticity.

[JamesMcM]

Interestingly I saw some unpublished data last year whereby an injured animal group that had received a gene-based intervention that were allowed to run about in an open field actually got functionally worse. However, the animal group that were confined to a smaller enclosure and given precise dosage of treadmill training functionally improved. Not the same mechanism as stem cells but worth noting when considering the value of precision training and synaptic plasticity.

It would be very interesting if those results would be similar after stem cell injection. Even for us precision training is very difficult, I think two of the best devices we have for handfunction are the bio Ness and the Galileo, but functional electrostimulation of the legs hasn't shown functional improvements ( not that I've seen any publish where it was utilized intensively after a potential "treatment") so I don't see how the hands with very much differently, and for most quads the bio Ness provides far from "functional" outcome from the stimulation. As Grammy pointed out the lokomat doesn't stimulate the CPGand I'd say that's probably the best gait trainer out there. Evidently the exact method of stimulating our body to help it rewire indeuce regeneration potentially is very much unknown, I'm just very happy the people involved with this clinical trial take this part of the puzzle very seriously and they're putting substantial effort into it; I think they will come up with some interesting approaches to this problem

[Nowhere Man]

Can you define what you mean by regeneration?

Axons that have been cut off by SCI have regrown into & out of the injury site. I'm not even talking about making correct connections (impossible).

[Nowhere Man]

Interestingly I saw some unpublished data last year whereby an injured animal group that had received a gene-based intervention that were allowed to run about in an open field actually got functionally worse. However, the animal group that were confined to a smaller enclosure and given precise dosage of treadmill training functionally improved. Not the same mechanism as stem cells but worth noting when considering the value of precision training and synaptic plasticity.

Yes, I think it is well documented that rehab is very helpful in incomplete SCI where spinal cord tissue is spared. That's why the lokomat is used for incomplete SCI. But no one nows anything about how to best maximize recovery from a regenerative therapy because there has never been a replicated study where animals had complete SCI, had substantial axon regeneration, and recovered function. Scientists are still in basic research trying to figure that out.

[JAMESRRR]

I had a chance to try out the biomass hand device a couple months ago and it did absolutely nothing for me. On Friday, I’m going to have nerve transplant surgery which will hopefully get me back enough hand function to be useful.

[JamesMcM]

Axons that have been cut off by SCI have regrown into & out of the injury site. I'm not even talking about making correct connections (impossible).

Well we don't in fact know it's 100% impossible, but I personally would definitely agree that axons are not going to regrow let alone exactly how they were before injury

[JamesMcM]

I had a chance to try out the biomass hand device a couple months ago and it did absolutely nothing for me. On Friday, I’m going to have nerve transplant surgery which will hopefully get me back enough hand function to be useful.

What's your level of injury, are you complete or incomplete and how long and how often did you use it? Just curious, to my knowledge there is no soild evidence to support that it can help you recover hand function, after a spinal cord injurythat's not to say it can't or there isn't any I just haven't seen it. To my understanding patients in the next phase of Dr. Young's trial will be receiving this for hand function draining, which is exciting because obviously it'll be the first time this device is utilized after a "potential treatment" for the injury. So who knows what it'll do.

Yes, I think it is well documented that rehab is very helpful in incomplete SCI where spinal cord tissue is spared. That's why the lokomat is used for incomplete SCI. But no one nows anything about how to best maximize recovery from a regenerative therapy because there has never been a replicated study where animals had complete SCI, had substantial axon regeneration, and recovered function. Scientists are still in basic research trying to figure that out.

It's kind of paradoxical, say they do finally have a treatment that can actually regenerate spinal tissue and causes axons to regrow "Potentially". And they implement some kind of crazy antigravity functional rehab six hours+ a day every day just basic movement nothing very intensive that would be hard on the body/nervous system at first, like running or weightlifting is. Say after everything all patients are able to walk regaining hand function and manage their bladder and bowelnormally. At the end of the day how would we know wether the treatment or the intensive rehabilitation was the critical factor in the recovery. Obviously would have to do what Dr. Young's phase 3 is trying split the patients into groups: group a; gets just the "treatment", Group B; guess just the intensive "Functional rehab",and group C; gets both. Unless either group a or group b individually got the same results as group c we wouldn't know. Honestly Dr. Young is a pioneer of spinal cord injury research, I cannot say enough good things about the man but in my opinion these days there are far more promising clinical trials going on; however I'm very interested to see how each group with the individual treatments compares to the group that receives the whole package sort to speak.

Nowhereman I understand that you are very doubtful when it comes to research, rightfully so you don't believe anything until you see clinical data and preferably video or picture proof; logical. But let's be honest you probably haven't really seen anything to date of chronic injuries recovering ( showing actual regeneration potential) even in animal models. I'm just making assumptions here but you have seen nothing regarding this Russian trial that leads you to actually disregard this technology as obsolete or a scam as of yet correct? So at this moment you can remain speculative, but to make a statement that it's bullshit would be nothing more than slander ( i'm not saying you have done this). But I would just like to get an understanding of your mindset for whatever reason, humour me here say this clinical trial, Dr. Silvers or Dr. Blackmore (I don't follow Gene therapy I think it's far too early to interest me as of yet, if I got his name wrong excuse my ignorance) whatever causes the regrowth that we all want ( spinal tissue reshape significant axons regrow out of the spinal cord and into it), do you believe that we will see functional improvement from a chronic spinal cord injury over five years post without any kind of intensive rehab (just receive the treatment and go about your day), do you believe light physiotherapy; at best involving The robotics we have available today a couple times a week when you can will be enough, or do you believe daily constant very intensive functional rehabilitation ( A completely different approach that hasn't been worked out yet, but we both can make pretty reasonable assumption on what it will entai) for specific functions ( ex walking, bladder etc.) will be needed?. I'm fully aware that this is purely hypothetical there is no need to state that, and I'm also fully aware that any assumptions you make to answer this question is just that an assumption, a very slightly educated one at bestespecially considering nothing like that has been attempted.

I'm just trying to figure out whether or not people actually believe that after a chronic injury of 2+ years (causing axons and muscles to atrophy, eventually losing the ability to contract entirely if it was even possible after injury in the first plac,bladder death basically, circulation issues, osteoporosis etc.) research will come around and inject them with some miracle concoction and in a few weeks or months with minimal effort A few times a week (after which they return to their chair for the majority of the day) they will regain substantial functions such as walking moving their hand etc.

[Fly_Pelican_Fly]

Yes, I think it is well documented that rehab is very helpful in incomplete SCI where spinal cord tissue is spared. That's why the lokomat is used for incomplete SCI. But no one nows anything about how to best maximize recovery from a regenerative therapy because there has never been a replicated study where animals had complete SCI, had substantial axon regeneration, and recovered function. Scientists are still in basic research trying to figure that out.

Just to be correct, complete and incomplete classifications are linked to residual sensory/motor outcomes rather than spared spinal cord tissue.