Spinal Cord Regrows in Rats

In ground-breaking experiments, scientists succeeded in getting nerves to re-grow in the severed spinal cords of adult rats. Past experiments have failed because there is a factor that inhibits nerve growth in the spinal cord. After a recent discovery that fibroblast growth factor stimulates nerve growth, neurobiologists severed the spinal cords in rats, and installed nerves from another part of the body to bridge the gap and act as guides for the potentially regenerating spinal cord. The nerves were glued on with a sticky substance called fibrin that had been mixed with the fibroblast growth factor. In addition, the nerve bridges were constructed so that they went from white matter to grey matter, a normal path for nerves within the spinal cord.

Three months later, rats with the nerve bridges began to show movement in their lower bodies. In further analyses of the experimental animals, dye tests indicated that the spinal cord nerves had regrown from both sides of the gap. Many scientists are encouraged by the potential to use a similar treatment in human medicine. However, most spinal cord injuries in humans do not involve a completely severed spinal cord. Also, while the rats with nerve bridges did regain some locomotory ability, tests indicated that they were barely able to walk or stand.

"Doctors in Sweden Document That a Severed Spinal Cord Can Repair Itself," by Gina Kolata, New York Times, July 26, 1996

"Spinal Cord Regeneration," by Wise Young, Science vol. 273, p. 451, July 26, 1996.

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