Researchers at UCLA have demonstrated how spinal cord injuries spur a natural ability to reorganize and restore cellular communication using alternative pathways in the nervous system. In a study involving mice, the research team witnessed their ability to walk again eight to 10 weeks after their nervous system had been blocked at key intersections. The next step, they say, will be to identify particular cells that work to restore the body's communication network that connects the brain to the spinal cord and spur them to do their work, offering a new approach to combating paralysis.
"If we can use existing nerve connections instead of attempting to rebuild the nervous system the way it existed before injury, our job of repairing spinal cord damage will become much easier," Professor Michael Sofroniew told The Telegraph.
- see this release
- here's the article from The Telegraph