Harvesting olfactory
mucosa (nasal tissue) that includes both olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) and
stem cells and transplanting them into the injury site within the spinal cord
is, at present, the most promising treatment for chronic (long-term) spinal cord
injury internationally. The procedure currently performed only in Lisbon,
Portugal by Dr Carlos Lima and his team involves carefully opening the spinal
cord to reveal the injury site (commonly a fluid filled cavity) and the removal
of a small knot of scar tissue present within the injured site. This prepares
the site for transplantation. The olfactory tissue is then removed from the
nasal cavity by an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon, carefully dissected and chopped
into very small fragments by Dr Lima. These fragments are then placed into the
prepared cavity and the spinal cord closed.
Two web addresses providing
further information about Dr Lima's procedure are:
www.healingtherapies.info/OlfactoryTissue1.htm
www.healingtherapies.info/OlfactoryTissue2.htm
So far, Dr Lima and his team
have performed this procedure more than 120 times on people from various parts
of the world.
An initial report on the
first seven Lisbon cases has been published in The Journal of Spinal Cord
Medicine in 2006 and provides important information on the relative safety of
the surgery. The report indicated that the surgical procedure had no adverse
effects. Anecdotal information and personal testimonials have indicated that
some patients have regained some sensation and function.
SCSNZ have started planning
for an initial Clinical Study for transplantation of autologous olfactory
mucosal tissue followed by active rehabilitation therapy as a treatment for
spinal cord injury, to be performed in New Zealand. The goal of the initial
SCSNZ study will be to demonstrate that the treatment is safe in a NZ
environment and evaluate whether or not cell transplantation followed by
intensive rehabilitation is better than intensive rehabilitation alone.
Funding for this part of the
process is now urgently sought. Ethical approval is required before recruitment
and pre-surgical assessments can be made.
Further clinical research
studies will be carried out following this initial study. These will involve a
type of stem cell from the person's bone marrow and purified olfactory cells
grown in the laboratory. See the sections on Adult Stem Cells and Combination
Therapy for further information.
