Science Sunday: Scientists Rewire Rat's Spinal Cords
That's right folks. Swiss scientists have been successful in rewiring the spinal cords of rats. They use chemical and electrical therapy to get the damaged spines firing again.
First, Courtine and colleagues injected the rats with a chemical
cocktail that binds to dopamine, adrenaline and serotonin receptors on
the spinal cord’s neurons. This replaced the neurotransmitters that
would normally be released in healthy spinal pathways. A few minutes
after priming the neurons, the team stimulated the rats' spinal cords
through electrodes implanted into the spinal canal. This sent electrical
signals to the roused neurons. Then the rats needed to be trained to
use their limbs again. Within a week of their injuries, the rats were on
treadmills, forging new neural connections.
Human testing is set to start within the next two years. This is some cool shit in my book. and from the sounds of it, it doesn't take too long to get results. Hit the link below and read the whole article. It's very interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment