What is Spinal Cord Injury?What is Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal cord: bundle of nerves which run through the spine

Damages/injuries cause: loss of sensory input & voluntary/involuntary functions

Two Types of spinal cord injuries: Traumatic spinal cord injury Non-traumatic spinal cord injury

MedicaLook.com, 2013

ChristopherReeve.org

Autologous olfactory mucosal cell Autologous olfactory mucosal cell transplants in clinical spinal cord injury: a transplants in clinical spinal cord injury: a

randomized double-blinded trial in a randomized double-blinded trial in a canine translational modelcanine translational model

Nicolas Granger, Helen Blamires, Robin J. M. Franklin and Nick Nicolas Granger, Helen Blamires, Robin J. M. Franklin and Nick D. JefferyD. Jeffery Hypothesis: If olfactory mucosal cells (OMC) are transplanted

into the spine of a canine with spinal cord injury, then there should be improved fore-hind limb coordination/movement

Purpose: To use olfactory mucosal cells as a prospective therapy for spinal cord injuries

Model: Dogs with spinal cord injuries

Granger et al., 2012

Measured VariablesMeasured Variables

Dogsforlifex.blogspot.com

Cell harvest and Cell harvest and cultureculture

Multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com Granger et al., 2012

Granger et al., 2012

Granger et al, 2012

ResultsResults

Significant data from primary measures, but not from secondary measures

Subjects who received mucosal cell transplant regained some fore-hind coordination/movement

Coordination and movement ≠ restoration of brain control

Coordination may be due to enhanced communication across damaged region of spinal cord Implies long tract axon improvement, however data

suggests otherwise

Hopes for Humans?Hopes for Humans?

Humans with spinal cord injury want the recovery of:1. Arm function

2. Bladder function

3. Sexual function

Olfactory mucosal cell transplant would result in some improvement Should not be the sole treatment

Transplantation is not the safest for humans

Past StudiesPast Studies

Deshpande et al, 2006

ReferencesReferences

A.D.A.M inc: Spinal cord & Brain (image): <http://media.sharecare.com/mediaItems/4/c/8/4c844406ef681/adam_central_nervous_system_19588.jpg>

Deshpande, D., Kim, Y., Martinez, T., Carmen, J., Dike, S., Shats, I., & Rubin, L. (2006). Recovery from Paralysis in Adult Rats Using Embryonic Stem Cells. Ann Neurol, 60, 32-44.

DogsForLife: A Dog’s Brain (image) <http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7-Tod7StYyc/TZn2g2GoWvI/AAAAAAAAABo/hKPgwJj04bo/s1600/a+dogs+brain.jpg>

Farlex. “Double-blind study”. Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 8th Edition. 2009. Elsevier. < http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/double-blind+study>

Farry, A., Baxter, D. (2012), The incidence and prevalence of spinal cord injury in Canada.: overview and estimates based on current evidence. Rick Hansen Institute & Urban Futures.

Granger N., Blamires H., Franklin R.J., Jeffery N.D. (2012). Autologous olfactory mucosal cell transplants in clinical spinal cord injury: a randomized double-blinded trial in a canine translational model. Brain, 11:3227-37. doi: 10.1093/brain/aws268.

Jefferey, N.D., Lakatos, A., and Franklin, R.J.M. (2005). Autologous Olfactory Glial Cell Transplantation is Reliable and Safe in Naturally Occurring Canine Spinal Cord Injury. Journal of Neurotrama, 22: 1282-1293.

Multiple Sclerosis Research: Olfactory Tissue Diagram (image) <http://www.healingtherapies.info/Olftissue4.jpg>