Stem cell transplants may help regain sensory functions in spinal cord injury patients
Road collisions or severe falls can lead to severe traumatic spinal cord injuries, which may result in a seriously disabling condition, involving paralysis, loss of sensation, and often chronic, intractable, neuropathic pain. Sometimes a surgical intervention along with intensive multisystem medical management and rehabilitative care can help patients stabilize. However, nothing has been proven to be effective in restoring sensory function so far. It is an irreversible neurological deficit, a result of disconnection between the peripheral and central nervous systems. Therefore, it is critical to identify new treatment modalities, which can bridge the gap created by spinal cord injury, and revive the damaged connections.