A principle strategy at present is to tone down the glial response, sending in glial cells is probably not a good idea. I realise that violates the typical assumption of the the body "working well", but we do die after all so it doesn't work quite that well. One of the intriguing features of microglia is that they appear to be rather senescent for most of the time, coming to life when necessary. Unusual because most tissue localised macrophages etc tend to undergo apopotosis unless stimulated. Then again there is some evidence that microglia are of the dendritic lineage (via astrocyte secreted GM CSF probably +ifn) and this lineage helps to stimulate surrounding T cells etc. I'm a big vague on all this. The trick may be in allowing glial cell activity shortly after the initial inflammation settles (circa 3-5 days), acute phase cytokines are generally short lived, the goal will be to facilitate rapid astrocyte recovery to regain BBB integrity (though seems to heal fairly quickly anyway). TGF producing glia may help but there are so many elements to take into account that it all becomes rather cumbersome. Eg. One study measured the effects of infarcts at various times in the circadian cycle, the differences in insult were rather surprising and can be effected by a wide range of factors. No general generic solution, treatment may need to be at a very individual level which raises all sorts of practical problems.
John H.
John.
"Kenneth Collins" <k.p.collins at worldnet.att.net> wrote in message news:fWSg9.29381$jG2.2200992 at bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Yeah, the research has been going on for years. If it's the same guy I read about years ago [if it was also, then, Dr. McDonald] then I'm really impressed with his dedication.
The question that's always 'haunted' me is with respect to transplantation of glia into the site of the injury. Anyone know if such has been tried? {Seems it'd have best promise if it was a self-transplant, and I understand that such a self-to-self transplant would be problematical, because where does one feel safe in taking the glia cells for transplant? {Presumably, they're carrying out a necessary function where ever they exist. Take a minimal sample, and culture them in vitro?]
Anyway, after posting the prior msg, I realized that I'd left-out some necessary Praise.
Mrs. Reeves, your Love for Christopher has probably been the main thing. Love like yours is Miracle-Working stuff, and I've Celebrated it, in my 'heart', ever since Mr. Reeves was first injured. To me, your Love is right up-there with the Love of Pierre and Marie Curie - 'Totally-'Magic', and Awesome in its capacity for making good-stuff happen.
So, good for you, too, Mrs. Reeves.
k. p. collins
John H. wrote in message <8rHg9.4692$Sr6.169740 at ozemail.com.au>...
Not that new. I remember reading one article about children with damaged optic nerves, over many years there is a slow recovery of minimal vision, those neurites ever reaching forward for something, anything. There are, however, an interesting series of research articles showing how much protection can be achieved from injury, but it has to be within a matter of hours.
John.
"Kenneth Collins" <k.p.collins at worldnet.att.net> wrote in message news:Noeg9.26644$jG2.1924714 at bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
"Christopher Reeve Regains Some Movement, Doctor Says", By SANDRA BLAKESLEE
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/12/health/12REEV.html
"`He did what everybody thought was not possible,' said the doctor, John W. McDonald, an assistant professor of neurology and director of the spinal cord injury program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who designed the therapy for Mr. Reeve and described it in an article in the current issue of The Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. `He had the highest level of injury and no recovery for five years. Now he's improving every day.' "
[Quote Copyright 2002, by The New York Times.]
This is exciting - externally-imposed activation-dependent, and driven, trophic dynamics(?).
It's activation-dependence all the way down.
I'm 'embarassed' that, in my own 'blind'-automation, I didn't predict the specific aplication you've Discovered, Dr. McDonald. Good for you, and good for Mr. Reeves, 'cause his tenacious-persistence surely carried things 'over the crator's rim'.
k. p. collins
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