"The key word here is 'combination.' This is one of a series of new studies showing that a combination of therapies is needed for successful spinal repair, in this case, specialized cells and growth factors. The experiments also used a combination of outcomes — physiology, behavior, and anatomy — to point clearly at myelination as the cause for improved function," says Naomi Kleitman, Ph.D., the NINDS program director for the grants that funded this work. "The study also is a good example of strong collaboration between two spinal cord injury research centers, one at the University of Louisville and the other at the University of Miami in Florida."

The researchers are now investigating ways to improve this type of therapy with additional genetic modifications to the transplanted cells, and they plan to test similar techniques that start with undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells instead of glial-restricted precursor cells. ES cells would be better for human studies than glial-restricted precursors because ES cells can be more readily obtained, Dr. Whittemore says.

The NINDS is a component of the National Institutes of Health within the Department of Health and Human Services and is the nation’s primary supporter of biomedical research on the brain and nervous system.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.