Our Research
Our research is completely devoted to restoring function in humans. To achieve this goal, SCSNZ has established a modern research facility at the Centre for Innovation, University of Otago to develop a New Zealand based therapy for people with spinal cord injury. New innovative methods of spinal cord repair are being developed by using local and international expertise. Spinal Cord Society scientists are working to –
- Move adult stem cell technology into medical practice in New Zealand
- Extend the frontiers of medical knowledge
- Develop safe and ethical treatments
One of the important aspects for our research is that we use human cells and human products rather than animal tissues and products. This is because our goal is to design procedures and protocols for cell transplantation into humans. The procedure will involve prior removal of cells from the bone marrow, or other tissue, the cells grown in a specially designed laboratory and when sufficient cells have been grown, the cells will be re-implanted into the damaged spinal cord to instigate repair. When the patient is the source of the cells (i.e., autologous), there is no danger of immunological rejection when they are re-introduced.
The major goal of repair of the damaged spinal cord (as opposed to rehabilitative measures) is to restore the transmission of information, and thus function, across the injury site. To achieve this, a multi-faceted approach will be required. Such a strategy will enable nerve cells to re-grow for long distances, guiding them straight across the injury site and into the normal healthy tissues on the other side. Two potential sources for use of a combination therapy are olfactory ensheathing cells and bone marrow-derived stem cells. Both cell types can be obtained via a simple biopsy of the relevant tissues, expanded in the laboratory and introduced into the spinal cord as an autologous (self-to-self) cellular graft.
A small number of adult stem cells have shown that the adult human body contains a small number of cells which can be of value in tissue repair following injury.
At the Research Laboratory of the Spinal Cord Society we currently work with some of these cell types so that we may discover more about their potential roles in injury repair. We are also developing methods for growing human adult stem cells in a way that will meet the Medicines Licensing requirements that apply to cell transplant therapies. Our work is aimed at autologous cell transplantation, that is – transplantation of a person's own cells back into themself.
The new and yet-to-be developed treatments for spinal injuries are much safer than most forms of every-day major surgery carried out in New Zealand - such as heart, lung and liver transplants.
Those other forms usually require patients to take anti-rejection drugs, whereas the emerging spinal cord treatments involve using the patient's own cells to re-build the damaged spinal column. No donation of tissue or cells is required by another human.
To learn more about the detail of what we do, click on the links to the left in the submenu.