(STUDY FINDS) – Roughly 5.4 million Americans are currently living with paralysis, of which 27.3% are due to spinal injuries. According to a recent study, movement can be restored to mice paralyzed from spinal injuries via genetic engineering. Scientists say this breakthrough could ultimately help paraplegic and quadriplegic patients walk again.
Around 2,500 people per year are left with life changing paralysis, usually as a result of car or sports accidents, violence and falls. After initial damage, sticky scar tissue prevents repair by acting like glue, leading to paralysis below the site.
Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern discovered a protein in the body that makes regeneration possible. The chemical, known as SOX2, stops scar formation and fuels nerve cells. It is produced by cells in the central nervous system called NG2 glia.
