Nov 02 2009
New development in the treatment of spinal cord injuries
Researchers have recently announced the development in regards to an enzyme that shows promise in the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
The enzyme is called chrondroitinase ABC (chABC), and it degrades the scar tissue that forms when the central nervous system is damaged. This scar tissue interferes with the regrowth of nerve tissue across the injury site.
The enzyme quickly degrades at body temperature. Researchers found that they could greatly retard the degrading of the enzyme by mixing it with trehalose (a sugar). The stabilizing of the enzyme allows it to be delivered at the same time as a protein that enhances the growth of neurons, allowing the neurons to grow across the injury site.
