Unlike tissue in the peripheral nervous system, tissue in the central nervous system (the spinal cord and brain) does not heal well. A treatment has been shown for the first time to alleviate dysfunction induced by spinal cord injuries. This treatment involves injecting cells into the injured area of the spine to help restore function.
Research on animals shows that neurons can regenerate their axons (the cables that connect one neuron to another) if they are injected with growth factors or other proteins that promote nerve cell growth. When applied directly to humans, these treatments have been shown to be safe and may help restore some sensory and motor functions after spinal cord injury.
There is still much research to be done before this approach could become a clinical reality for people suffering from spinal cord injuries. However, this novel treatment shows that the CNS can indeed repair itself if given the right signals.
While the peripheral neural system is capable of self-repair and regeneration, the central nervous system is, for the most part, unable. There is presently no therapy for regaining human nerve function after a central nervous system damage. The only option left to patients is replacement by artificial devices or nerves from animals or cadavers.
Over the past few decades, scientists have been investigating ways to repair the brain after injury. They have found evidence that certain types of neural cells (neurons) in the adult brain are able to divide and replace themselves. These new cells may contribute to recovery from disease or trauma to the brain. Scientists have also discovered that neural stem cells, which are able to turn into any type of cell in the body, can be coaxed into producing nerve cells that could be used to help restore movement and sense feeling after brain injury.
In animal models, researchers have successfully induced neural stem cells to produce neurons that connect with injured tissues. In some cases, these newly formed connections have helped restore lost movement, sensation, and behavior. Scientists are now testing therapies based on these findings in humans. It remains to be seen if such treatments will prove effective in people too.
Neural repair involves replacing damaged cells with new ones. If you injure your ankle, for example, new bone cells will come together to form a scar tissue capsule that binds the bones back together.
Unfortunately, because to the intricacy of the brain and spinal cord, there is very little spontaneous regeneration, repair, or healing. As a result, brain damage, spinal cord paralysis, and peripheral nerve damage are frequently permanent and incapacitating. However, recent research has brought hope that this may change for the better.
When an injury occurs to either the brain or the spinal cord, two things happen: First, neurons are damaged causing loss of function, and second, hormones and chemicals are released into the blood stream which causes pain signals to be sent to the brain when there is no injury. With prolonged pain, more neurons are lost resulting in even greater pain. This cycle can continue indefinitely unless something changes.
Recently, researchers have found ways to help injured nerves regenerate, reconnect, and heal. This approach is called neurorehabilitation. The goal of neurorehabilitation is to restore as much function as possible after neurological damage has occurred.
One type of neurorehabilitation involves using electrical stimulation to promote nerve regeneration. After injury, severed axons within the nerve fail to regrow because they are not stimulated to do so. Electric currents can now be used during rehabilitation to encourage regeneration of these injured fibers. In animal models, researchers have seen significant improvement in motor skills and balance after applying current to nerve injuries.
Unlike the spinal cord nerves, the peripheral nerves that link our limbs and organs to the central nervous system have an amazing capacity to heal after damage. They do this by growing back together after they are cut. This process of regeneration requires neurons to re-establish connections with each other before the nerve can function again. Neurons are able to regrow their connections in animals from worms to humans. However, it is not yet known whether this ability will be enough to restore function after traumatic injury in humans.
The brain and spinal cord are different. Although there is some growth during development, the adult human brain and spinal cord cannot regenerate themselves. This may be one reason why we age and die. The brain and spinal cord contain no regenerative cells capable of replacing those lost to disease or trauma. Instead, the body makes new tissue over time through cell division but this replacement tissue is always less mature than its original counterpart. As we get older, this process becomes more difficult because both neurons and glial cells (the support network for neurons) divide more slowly. This limits the body's ability to repair damage.
However, this does not mean that complete loss of movement or sensation would result in death for most people. Some animals, including mammals, birds, and reptiles, are able to regenerate parts of their brains and spinal cords.
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