Christopher Reeve News
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TO ALL SCS MEMBERS, Received May 21, 2011
By now you've probably seen/heard the news about the paralyzed man who can stand and
move his legs a little after an electrical implant to the spinal cord. Below is an
announcement from the Reeve organization that may be more accurate and informative
than the general media coverage (BTW, I am not a "faithful supporter" of them).
This study could be very beneficial in our work. I haven't had time to look into this very
much but, from what I can tell, by implanting this device in the lumbar region I think they
are stimulating, or at least partially stimulating, the central pattern generator (CPG). As we
know, the CPG is an area in the spinal cord that controls the walking motion and it is the
CPG that we are triggering with our TANES unit in our own treatment.
They have found, as we have, that this stimulation only works as long as the juice is
turned on. The difference between this and our work is that they are implanting and using
this device internally for a temporary result while we are applying the same type of thing
externally (and therefore non-invasively) as a therapy to permanently induce refunction
through our cell transplant. Where this new study may help us is in determining, locating
and stimulating the human CPG. Converting our TANES unit to human application is one
of the few steps we have left before we can take our treatment to human trials and this
may help us get there a little sooner.
A lot of noise could be made about this being on a chronic patient but, we have to
remember, they are just bypassing the actual injury so it doesn't matter if it's chronic,
acute, quad or para. Again, this could be a nice therapeutic tool but it is in no way any kind
of a cure. You will also see, or have seen, that it is followed by the usual 'it will be a long
time before this becomes useful' mantra. I think it may be very useful to us in the very near
future.
Mike Twin Cities SCS Chapter Head
Click the link below to read about the Reeve Foundation's press release.
"Major Breakthrough"
By now you've probably seen/heard the news about the paralyzed man who can stand and
move his legs a little after an electrical implant to the spinal cord. Below is an
announcement from the Reeve organization that may be more accurate and informative
than the general media coverage (BTW, I am not a "faithful supporter" of them).
This study could be very beneficial in our work. I haven't had time to look into this very
much but, from what I can tell, by implanting this device in the lumbar region I think they
are stimulating, or at least partially stimulating, the central pattern generator (CPG). As we
know, the CPG is an area in the spinal cord that controls the walking motion and it is the
CPG that we are triggering with our TANES unit in our own treatment.
They have found, as we have, that this stimulation only works as long as the juice is
turned on. The difference between this and our work is that they are implanting and using
this device internally for a temporary result while we are applying the same type of thing
externally (and therefore non-invasively) as a therapy to permanently induce refunction
through our cell transplant. Where this new study may help us is in determining, locating
and stimulating the human CPG. Converting our TANES unit to human application is one
of the few steps we have left before we can take our treatment to human trials and this
may help us get there a little sooner.
A lot of noise could be made about this being on a chronic patient but, we have to
remember, they are just bypassing the actual injury so it doesn't matter if it's chronic,
acute, quad or para. Again, this could be a nice therapeutic tool but it is in no way any kind
of a cure. You will also see, or have seen, that it is followed by the usual 'it will be a long
time before this becomes useful' mantra. I think it may be very useful to us in the very near
future.
Mike Twin Cities SCS Chapter Head
Click the link below to read about the Reeve Foundation's press release.
"Major Breakthrough"
