Hope for Brain, Spinal Cord Injuries

Charleston, WV — As a West Virginia lawyer representing people with brain and spinal cord injuries, I am always seeking new treatment options that offer clients hope.

A new study at Children’s Hospital of Boston shows that deleting a gene that suppresses natural growth factors enables regeneration of injured nerve fibers (axons) in mice. Researchers found that suppressing the SOCS3 gene, an inhibitor of a growth pathway called mTOR — resulted in vigorous growth of axons and reactivation of nerve pathways.

Axons are an integral part of nerve cells (neurons). The functions of the brain and spinal cord, also known as the central nervous system, is of course primarily made up of neurons. This study suggests that the body’s inability, or unwillingness, to regenerate injured  nerve fibers may be more closely linked to genetic factors, which can be manipulated, rather than some inherent, physiological limitation stemming from the complexity of the nervous system.

Clinical treatment of humans with this genetic therapy may be a ways off, but it sounds promising and gives people with brain and spinal injuries hope.  If you’ve suffered a brain injury, consider contacting a West Virginia personal injury lawyer at West Law Offices for a free consultation.  West Law Offices is located in Charleston, WV, and we proudly serve Beckley, Logan, Huntington, Parkersburg and all of West Virginia.