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PARALYZED mice have returned to market thanks to a revolutionary gene therapy that has created hope for the millions of humans with paralysis.
German scientists have shown how they were able to repair damaged spinal cord in mice by injecting what is called a conception protein.
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Once injected into the brain, the paralyzed rodents that could not use their hind legs began walking again in two to three weeks.
The experiment was carried out by researchers from the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany.
They have developed a protein called “hyper-interleukin-6” which can stimulate the regeneration of damaged nerve cells.
It has been genetically modified because this type of protein does not occur naturally.
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Scientists also engineered a virus that could transmit the blueprint to damaged cells inside mice.
Once this virus was injected and shared the information it carried, the spinal cord cells inside the mice were able to create the protein on their own.
That meant they could regenerate the nerves that send signals from the brain to the spinal cord.
Chief researcher Dietmar Fischer told Reuters: “The peculiarity of our study is that the protein is not only used to stimulate the nerve cells that produce it themselves, but is also transported further (to through the brain).
“That way, with a relatively small intervention, we are stimulating a very large number of nerves to regenerate and that is ultimately why the mice can walk again.”
The researchers were working with mice that had just been paralyzed.
They are now checking whether their proteins still have positive effects on mice that have been paralyzed for weeks.
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This will determine if the treatment is ready for human trials.
Researchers are also working on a better way to deliver the new protein.
Applying a treatment like this to humans would be scientifically revolutionary.
However, it would have to be tested first on mammals like pigs and dogs.
That’s why the researchers pointed out that it could be years before the treatment is tested on people.
What is paralysis?
Paralysis is the loss of function of part or all of the body.
Often this is due to damage to the spinal cord.
This can happen when parts of nerve cells called axons are damaged.
It could be due to a traumatic accident like a car accident or a bad fall.
Axons are the part of nerve cells that are responsible for sending signals from the brain to other parts of the body such as muscles and skin.
When damaged, communication can stop, leaving a patient unable to move or feel in the affected area.
There is currently no cure for paralysis.
However, there have been occasions when some or all of the muscle control has returned after treatment for the cause of the injury.
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Are you impressed with the recovery of the paralyzed mice? Let us know in the comments …
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