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Ed Note: The following is
a press release from the Baylor College Of Medicine
HOUSTON -- (March 8, 2004) -- Infusing a naturally occurring anti-scarring
agent called decorin into the damaged spinal cords of rats suppresses key
molecules that block nerve regeneration after spinal cord injury, said
Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) researchers in a study published today in
the European Journal of Neuroscience.
The researchers are the first to use decorin to suppress inflammation and
scar formation in spinal cord injuries. "Scar tissue that develops at sites
of injury stops the regeneration of connections in the adult central nervous
system," said Dr. Stephen Davies, lead author on the study and an assistant
professor of neurosurgery and neurosciences at BCM. "Infusion of decorin
into spinal cord injuries prevents the formation of proteoglycan rich scar
tissue by suppressing inflammation."
Misaligned scar tissue that forms at spinal cord injuries physically blocks
nerve regeneration and contains molecules called chondroitin sulfate
proteoglycans that inhibit nerve fiber growth. Decorin inhibits the action
of pro - inflammatory molecules released in spinal cord injuries, called
transforming growth factors, which are thought to promote the formation of
scar tissue.
Researchers in the study infused decorin directly into the injury site in
rats with a mini-pump system, which used silica cannulas 160 microns in
diameter. Because the cannulas were so small, they did not contribute to the
formation of scar tissue. Using a high-powered laser scanning microscope and
protein chemistry to analyze tissue samples, Davies and co-workers were able
to show that decorin infusion reduced inflammation, scar formation and the
levels of some proteoglycans by 80-95 percent allowing nerve fibers (called
axons) to grow across spinal cord injuries in just four days.
"We have found a promising new approach to control inflammation and scar
formation, which will be an important part of future strategies to encourage
axon regeneration and recovery after spinal cord injury," Davies said.
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The work was supported by TIRR (The Institute for Rehabilitation and
Research) Foundation's Mission Connect and conducted in collaboration with
scientists at Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation, The Burnham
Institute and GTC Biotherapeutics Inc, who together developed the
genetically engineered form of human decorin for use in the study.
Contact: Anissa Orr
anissaa@bcm.tmc.edu
713-798-4712
Baylor College of Medicine
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