A new study by University of Manitoba researchers has developed a stem cell-based therapy that may eventually lead to new regenerative treatments for people with spinal cord injuries.

Dr. Soheila Karimi, professor of physiology and pathophysiology at the Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and her colleagues have developed a treatment strategy that can remarkably optimize the outcomes of neural stem cell transplantation and restore function of rats with spinal cord injury.

"We are excited about these new findings as they hold promise to facilitate the translation of neural stem cell therapies for treating a debilitating neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide," said Karimi, who is also a scientist at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

Neural stem cell transplantation offers tremendous potential for tissue repair after spinal cord injury, however low survival of transplanted stem cells and their inefficiency to replace damaged spinal cord cells have challenged its success in clinical applications, said Karimi, the senior author of this study.

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