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What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
According to the National Institution of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when there is damage to the small network of nerves and cells that transmit and deliver messages from the brain to the rest of the body. It can damage the vertebrae and surrounding tissues, as well as directly injure the spinal cord itself. While side effects may vary, depending on the severity of the spinal cord injury, some general symptoms include the permanent disruption of sensation, mobility, and some bodily functions (“Spinal Cord Injury”). The majority of a person’s body is affected by this injury, and there is no known treatment for SCI; therefore, people with SCI would permanently live very uncomfortable lifestyles.
Darek Fidyka, a patient suffering from an SCI, thought that he would have to adapt to the painful way of living due to his injury until he was able to walk nearly four years after his accident. Darek, a 38-year-old Bulgarian, was wounded in an assault in 2010 and became paralyzed from the chest down (Russell). Being paralyzed from the chest down implied that he would never walk again. However, Dr. Geoffrey Raisman, a professor at the Spinal Repair Unit at UCL Institute of Neurology in London, and his team of scientists believed that they found the ultimate cure for SCI. They understood that the nerve cells from Darek’s nasal cavity could be transplanted into his spinal cord in order to help him walk again. Dr. Raisman realized that scar tissue develops at the location of the injury and prevents nerve fibers' regrowth (Paddock). If there was a bridge between the nerve fibers and the scar, he believed that they might regenerate. The team picked the olfactory ensheathing cells, special cells that enable effective olfactory axon regeneration throughout an adult mammal's life (Boyd). After removing the olfactory ensheathing cells from Darek’s nose, they harvested the cells until it was ready to be transplanted into his spinal cord. They made hundreds of microinjections to place the cells around his wound. After they transplanted the olfactory ensheathing cells, they bridged the gap from the cells to the spinal cord by using a strip of nerves from his ankle (Tabakow). The surgery was successful and all they had to do was wait for the results. Before the surgery, Darek had been paralyzed for two years and showed no sign of movement. However, about three months after the surgery, Darek noticed that his thighs were gradually putting on muscle. Two years later, he was able to walk again with the help of a walking frame (Walsh). According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, in 2016, Darek gained more sensation in his legs and could pedal a tricycle (Maddox). This discovery is a step forward to curing all kinds of paralysis and brings hope to all SCI patients around the world. Professor Geoffrey Raisman, the head of UCL’s Institute of Neurology who conducted the groundbreaking research into OECs, says, “We believe that this procedure is the breakthrough which, as it is further developed, will result in a historic change in the currently hopeless outlook for people disabled by spinal cord injury” (Milmo).
References
Boyd, J Gordon, Ronald Doucette, and Michael D Kawaja. “Defining The Role Of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells In Facilitating Axon Remyelination Following Damage To The Spinal Cord.” National Library of Medicine. 19 May. 2005. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15857884/. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.
Maddox, Sam. “Darek Rides A Trike; More Stab Wounds Wanted.” Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. 18 March. 2016. www.christopherreeve.org/blog/research-news/darek-rides-a-trike-more-stab-wounds-wanted. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.
Milmo, Cahal. “Paralysed Man Darek Fidyka Walks Again After Treatment By British Doctors On Brink Of 'cure' For Paralysis.” Independent. 22 Oct. 2014. www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/british-doctors-on-brink-of-cure-for-paralysis-9807010.html. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.
Paddock, Catharine. “Paralyzed Man Walks Again After Nose Cells Repair His Spinal Cord”. MedicalNewsToday. 21 Oct. 2014. www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284152#Nose-cells-encouraged-spinal-nerve-cells-to-grow-across-a-nerve-graft-bridge. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.
Russell, Peter. “Did Nose Cells Help Paralyzed Man Walk?” WebMD. 2014. www.webmd.com/brain/news/20141021/nerve-cells-paralysis#:~:text=Oct.,transplanted%20into%20his%20spinal%20cord. Accessed 28 Aug. 2022.
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