Canada’s Breakthrough Medical Research

In 2006, after 25 years of hard work and collaboration with researchers around the world, a Canadian research team at McMaster University—the Hamilton Neurorestorative Group—was able to accomplish something that had never been done before. The Hamilton based team, led by Dr. Michel Rathbone and Dr. Shucui Jiang, successfully regenerated nerves in the chronically injured spinal cords of rats.  In doing so, they restored the nerve signals from the rats’ brains to their legs, enabling the rats to walk again.

This medical miracle was made possible by two breakthrough discoveries.

1.      Cells from the rat’s own intestine were successfully transplanted into their spinal cord.

This breakthrough discovery makes the current controversy that is raging over the use of embryonic stem cells in research—irrelevant based upon the McMaster team’s research findings into the treatment of spinal cord injuries.  Adult cells (enteric glial) that support the nervous system of the gut could be injected into the spinal cord and enhance recovery of function without being rejected by the immune system. These adult cells are found in abundance in the intestines of animals and humans. When isolated, and grown in a cell culture, then transplanted back into the rat’s spinal cords, these cells:

ü       Stimulated nerves to grow through the injured spinal cord

ü       Reduced the damage in the spinal cord

ü       Stimulated nerves to form functional connections

ü       Improved function of the injured spinal cord

2.      Guanosine, a naturally occurring substance within our bodies, stimulated adult stem cells in injured spinal cords to grow and to produce cells that insulated the damaged nerve fibres.

Dr. Rathbone’s research team discovered that guanosine, a naturally occurring molecule in the body, enhances functional recovery after chronic spinal cord injury by stimulating adult stem cells already present in the adult spinal cord to grow and develop into cells that insulate the nerve processes.  This improved insulation of the nerve processes improved conduction of nerve impulses through the nerve processes that were still surviving after spinal cord injury.

These two approaches open a new perspective on treatment of spinal cord injuries. In essence, the rats’ own enteric glial cells caused nerve fibres to grow, and guanosine, a natural molecule, stimulated the intrinsic stem cells to help repair the chronically-injured spinal cord.

The Wide Impact of This Discovery

Some medical treatments already offer hope for improvement to victims of recent spinal cord injuries. This research provides hope for a cure to chronic spinal cord injury victims, where currently there are no effective treatments available.

For quadriplegics, even a small improvement could transform the quadriplegic’s life. If techniques like these can make the spinal cord recover over even a few centimeters, quadriplegics would be able to use their arms, and gain a great deal of independence.

This Canadian medical discovery is a breakthrough not just for those with spinal cord injuries, however.  This discovery will have enormous spin-off value for the treatment of other diseases because all of us have stem cells present in many organs of our bodies, including the brain.

These stem cells work in normal repair and maintenance functions. So it follows that this medical research may also have far-reaching implications in the development of effective treatments for a variety of disabling neurological conditions such as:

š      Alzheimer’s

š      Parkinson’s

š      Diabetes

š      Stroke

š      Concussive head injury

š      Major wounds

The potential health benefit to Canadians and savings in health care costs is incalculable.

Next Steps

So what’s next?  Dr. Rathbone’s research has reached the stage where his research team must now explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these important changes and translate these unique findings into clinical trials.  It is a critical time, as the research team prepares to apply their breakthrough findings and take their research to the next level.  The next steps include:

š      Immediate refinement of the research technique

š      Commencement of trials with small animals such as dogs who are prone to spinal cord injuries over their lives

š      Commencement of trials in humans within 1-2 years

š      Begin combined enteric glial cell and guanosine trials in humans within five years

More on the Hamilton Neurorestorative Group