Protocol may open new avenues for cell-replacement therapies for neurological conditions

LA JOLLA, CA—For more than 20 years, doctors have been using cells from blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after childbirth to treat a variety of illnesses, from cancer and immune disorders to blood and metabolic diseases.

Now, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found a new way-using a single protein, known as a transcription factor-to convert cord blood (CB) cells into neuron-like cells that may prove valuable for the treatment of a wide range of neurological conditions, including stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Continue Reading »

When Steve Brown broke his neck it was wheelchair rugby that spurred him on to recovery. Now he’s captain of the sport’s GB Paralympic team

In April 2005, my life was turned upside down. While working as a tree surgeon, I fell from a tree and broke my spine. The effects of this injury were instant and permanent. My spinal cord was severely damaged just below the 12th vertebra, leaving me paralysed from the waist down. I was 36 years old. Continue Reading »