Spinal Cord Repair
Almost 1,200 people living in Ireland have sustained a severe injury to their spinal cord. 40% of patients may not see any recovery from paralysis due to the extent of scarring in the spinal cord. The use of biomaterial scaffolds, stem cells and/or gene therapy may offer the potential to grow new spinal cord tissue through the scar, to remake nerve connections and restore some degree of function in injured patients. An international collaboration has developed between investigators at NUI Galway and the Mayo Clinic in the United States, to use biodegradable polymer scaffolds for the treatment of spinal cord injury. These scaffolds provide channels through which nerve cells can grow, out of the healthy surrounding tissue and through the damaged area. Researchers within the Network for Excellence in Functional Biomaterials (NFB) at NUI Galway are also investigating the use of polymer scaffolds for treatment of spinal cord and nerve injury. Within the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at NUI Galway, research based on stem cell and gene therapy approaches for the treatment of spinal cord regeneration are under way.