Incredible Breakthrough: New Procedure Repairs Severed Nerves In Minutes, Restoring Limb Use In Day

New procedure repairs severed nerves in minutes, restoring limb use in days or weeks
February 3, 2012

American scientists believe a new procedure to repair severed nerves could result in patients recovering in days or weeks, rather than months or years. The team used a cellular mechanism similar to that used by many invertebrates to repair damage to nerve axons. Their results are published today in the Journal of Neuroscience Research.

"We have developed a procedure which can repair severed nerves within minutes so that the behavior they control can be partially restored within days and often largely restored within two to four weeks," said Professor George Bittner from the University of Texas. "If further developed in clinical trials this approach would be a great advance on current procedures that usually imperfectly restore lost function within months at best."

The team studied the mechanisms all animal cells use to repair damage to their membranes and focused on invertebrates, which have a superior ability to regenerate nerve axons compared to mammals. An axon is a long extension arising from a nerve cell body that communicates with other nerve cells or with muscles.

This research success arises from Bittner's discovery that nerve axons of invertebrates which have been severed from their cell body do not degenerate within days, as happens with mammals, but can survive for months, or even years. The severed proximal nerve axon in invertebrates can also reconnect with its surviving distal nerve axon to produce much quicker and much better restoration of behaviour than occurs in mammals.

sciencedaily.com

This is incredible news! Could this finally be the miracle so many whom have been paralyzed have been waiting for?

Having worked as a Trauma Nurse for fifteen plus years, I have seen too many lives snuffed out by some freak accident. Too many 18 year olds paralyzed from the neck down. To see that there may be new hope on the
horizon for these people brings a tear of joy to my eye.

Perhaps, this is just the beginning and regeneration of an actual limb will be in our future. Nevertheless, some truly good news for a change.

Pax

OMG! This is a credible source, and from a credible study from what I see. If this is real and will really work this could well be one of the most important medical breakthroughs since antibiotics. Or even more than that.

This could be huge.

I'm not sure most people so far who might have seen this understand the significance of this. It this could be adapted to work in humans to repair damage from cervical fractures. Or even from simple impingements to amputations.

Including, being able to repair the vagus nerve after having a heart transplant. The implications here are just astronomical if this actually works on humans like it seems to have done in rats.

Originally posted by webpirate
OMG!

This is a credible source, and from a credible study from what I see. If this is real and will really work this could well be one of the most important medical breakthroughs since antibiotics. Or even more than that.

This could be huge.

Absolutely!! This is why I am so excited!!! Think of what this could mean for the wounded vets!! A stunning breakthrough! Always new they would figure something out, just didn't expect it to be so soon.......I pray the research continues and people start to heal.

Pax

reply to post by paxnatus


Interesting news and breakthrough.

Im just wondering how many millions it will cost to buy for those who need it. No positive breakthrough for humanity goes uncapitalized upon by those who could stand to profit.

The team described their success in applying this process to rats in two new research papers. The team were able to repair severed sciatic nerves in the upper thigh, with results showing the rats were able to use their limb within a week and had much function restored within 2 to 4 weeks, in some cases to almost full function.

I can not tell you how many people I know that are on painkillers for sciatic issues! If this could be safely applied to humans....well it would be a great step forward for all of us.

Wonder how long it will take until the AMA snuffs this out!

reply to post by paxnatus


The time frame here if it will work on humans like it has on rats is almost unbelievable. It would mean the nerves would heal before the muscle even has time to repair from atrophy.

If this really will work like this article says they think it will, it's as big a scientific breakthrough as if we found hardcore evidence of alien life.

It could put an end to paralysis, ALS, benefit Guillain–Barré patients....it's endless....

I don't wanna get a head of ourselves here, I almost never get excited over anything medical like a "breakthrough," mostly from cynicism because it so often never lives up to it's hype. This shows enough promise to even make me get excited....

Very nice find!

This is fantastic news. I really hope it works the way they expect it to. This could have amazing implications for spinal cord injuries.

I wonder if this could be applied to degenerative neural diseases like Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases. Maybe treat some forms of deafness and blindness.

If this can be used as a viable treatment, the possibilities are staggering.

I wonder if this could repair nerve damage?

My sister had a spinal fusion that went bad and now has nerve pain, lack of movement and feeling in her foot and leg.

Amazing news.

Human augmentation, Deux Ex anyone? That's all that I can visualize.

Now one must hope that the more breakthroughs that are made are not limited for a high price.

The way I'm reading this it would initially benefit actual nerve that are severed. But I can't see why it couldn't be used for cases like that too.

The implications here if this really does work are enormous. I'm still trying to read to understand the concept of how it works...in medical terms...not from just this article in lay terms, but it seems to have huge promise.

reply to post by webpirate


Wanted to add this information which explains how they conduct this procedure.

Something has been cut. The abstract explains the missing procedure: "severed axonal ends are opened and resealing is prevented by hypotonic Ca free saline containing antioxidants (especially methylene blue) that inhibit plasmalemmal sealing in sciatic nerves. Second, a hypotonic solution of polyethylene glycol (PEG) is applied to open closely apposed (by microsutures, if cut) axonal ends to induce their membranes to ow rapidly into each other .." Rapid, Effective, and Long-Lasting Behavioral Recovery Produced by Microsutures, Methylene Blue, and Polyethylene Glycol After Completely Cutting Rat Sciatic Nerves G.D. Bittner, et al Journal of Neuroscience Research Early View publication

medicalxpress.com

Pax

reply to post by paxnatus


That's actually a lot simpler than it sounds. Like....why wasn't something like that tried before kind of sounding...

I really do hope it works. It would be amazing.

reply to post by CaticusMaximus


Actually...several years of clinical trials would be needed before it ever actually hit the market. So there would be a long chance for many many people to participate and receive care for free. The update from Pax though doesn't even make it sound very complicated.

Besides though...can you really put a price on walking? On breathing on your own if you'd had a C-1 fracture? No. But I seriously doubt it would cost more than something like open heard surgery. That's not cheap by any means, but then again...it is a heart....

Just like..they are nerves.

I have to agree with an earlier comment. The FDA will find a way of completely controlling whom is allowed access
to this new procedure. It will only be approved if Big Pharma stands to make millions! Ethics will be tossed and ultimately, as usual it will be about capital gains.

In a different world at a different time, perhaps our loved ones would walk again, I too am highly skeptical because
it is never about the little guy, only those whom wish to control us.

Thanks,
Pax