SPINALpedia

SCI Research Wednesdays: People with chronic incomplete spinal cord injuries are being enrolled in a stem cell therapy clinical trial for next year that researchers at Keiko University in Japan believe could yield exciting results.

The trial will utilize clinical-grade gliogenic neural stem/progenitor cells (gNS/PCs), which develop into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. These are the support cells responsible for maintaining neurons and restoring myelin around surviving nerve fibers.

And this clinical trial is only possible thanks to a previous four-person study that showed encouraging results and proved the treatment was safe. One of the participants regained the ability to stand independently and begin gait training.

Stem Cell Therapy Advances Toward Clinical Trial for Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Stem cell therapy using gliogenic neural stem/progenitor cells advances toward a clinical trial for chronic spinal cord injury after promising preclinical results.

If you live in New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania and need additional physical therapy after your spinal cord injury, you can apply for financial assistance from Rise Through Resilience Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Matt Hellstern, a walking T11/12 paraplegic due to a car accident in 2021.

He and his wife Jen created the foundation after realizing how difficult it was for people with spinal cord injuries to access additional physical therapy or purchase adaptive and/or therapeutic equipment after their injury.

Their foundation also focuses on how a spinal cord injury affects the entire family, which is something that is not discussed enough.

Apply here:
https://risethroughresilience.com/financial-assistance

Listen to Matt's injury story + more with his wife on a podcast:
https://spinalpedia.com/community/video/njVypKKb1Wl

Although Tesla has put no timeline on when they will be available, the company recently announced they are building a wheelchair accessible autonomous vehicle to help with paratransit issues that are common in cities across the country.

Tesla Says It’s Building a Wheelchair-Accessible Robotaxi A Tesla representative at a DC hearing said the vehicle is “an active product being built.” But its timeline isn’t clear.