Nanofibers studied as treatment for spinal cord injury
The tragdy of spinal cord injury may be alleviated in the future if researchers at Northwestern University are right.
They are working on use of nanofibers to get disconnected nerve cells to regrow. The idea is to inject a liquid containing molecules called peptide amphiphiles to generate nerve growth. Studies with lab animals with severed spinal cords have been promising.
As the parent of a young adult who is deaf due to neurofibromatosis that required severing of auditory nerves, I wonder about the potential use of this to regrow auditory nerves too.
Ken Shigley is a trial attorney in Atlanta, Georgia who has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine), among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend Magazine), and in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (Martindale), and is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy,. Mr. Shigley has extensive experience representing parties in trucking and bus accidents, products liability, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, brain injury, spinal cord injury and burn injury cases. Currently he is Secretary of the 40,000 member State Bar of Georgia.
I too hope and pray that stem cell research gives our kids and others some tx to stop or at least slow tumor growth. My grandson is completely deaf from surg on a tumor and he has 1 on other side and wears a hearing aid. He's soon to be 13 and this is devastating to us as no one else in the family has this. I don't know if you or your daughter researches NF2, but there is a great site for support and info called NF2crew.org. It's made up of people living with this and they have a wealth of info. Also there's a device called an auditory brainstem implant that is the only option for NF2er's to have some semblance of hearing. The dr. is Dr. Brackmann at the HEI in Los Angeles. I've spoken to him and he's a wonderful man. Dr. Scott Plotkin is a neurologist and he's a specialist in this in Boston at the Massachusetts General Hosp. We saw him in Feb. He is doing a trial with some drugs. Avastin is also an option for tumor shrinkage but he didn't recommend it for my grandson at this time. I have phone numbers and email addresses for them if you or she is interested. I hope the best for your family. Debbie in MO
