Nine patients who had spinal cord paralysis were able to walk again after undergoing innovative treatment led by scientists in Switzerland. The results of the work were published Wednesday (9) in the journal Nature.
The starting point was to study in mice a family of neurons expressing the Vsx2 gene, which are not necessary for walking in these animals, but whose knowledge was essential for the recovery process of motor function in humans.
From there, the team of scientists were able for the first time to visualize a patient’s spinal cord activity while walking.
The researchers also created a kind of 3D map of the spinal cord.
“Our model allows us to observe the recovery process with a finer granularity, at the neuronal level,” explains in a statement one of the authors of the study, neuroscience professor Grégoire Courtine, EPFL (Escola Politécnica Federal de Lausanne). .
As the study progressed, the importance of Vsx2 neurons, which are activated during the stimulation process of the spinal cord, was realized.
In another phase, the team led by Professor Stéphanie Lacour, also from EPFL, developed epidural implants in the laboratory adapted with light-emitting diodes that allowed not only to stimulate the spinal cord, but also to deactivate Vsx2 neurons. .
This identification and remodeling of neurons activated in the spinal cord during lower limb movement was critical to the success of the therapy, which resulted in patients getting up, walking and rebuilding muscles.
When electrical stimulation to the spinal cord was turned off, their motor skills were maintained, suggesting that the nerve fibers used for walking had reorganized, the study authors say.
According to them, the findings mark “a fundamental clinical advance” in the rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injuries who are currently unable to walk.
