Nanoparticles in Spinal Cord Injury Treatments

Recently, at Purdue University, researchers have been incorporating the use of nanoparticles to help aid in the treatment of rats with spinal cord injuries. The overall goal of this research is to help make life better for animals that have suffered head/spinal cord injuries. From previous research, it was discovered that the presence of a polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG) benefited rats with brain injuries by specifically targeting and sealing the injured areas, reducing the spread of damage, and helping to restore cell function.

The researchers ran into a problem because the concentration and composition of PEG limited the amount that they would be able to administer. If you were to change the concentration of PEG, then it would be more viscous, and it would be harder to administer through an injection. If PEG was changed to become more potent, then it would produce ethylene glycol, which is the poison that is found in antifreeze.

The researchers resolved this problem by deciding to use nanoparticles. They used silica nanoparticles, which are about the same size as a large virus, so there is virtually no limit to the amount that you can inject. They are also harmless inside the body.



First, the researchers coated the silica nanoparticles with PEG and administered them to guinea pigs with spinal cord injuries; the result was improved physiological functioning.

Now, when cells become damaged, they naturally produce toxins, such as acrolein. Hydralazine is an antidote for this toxin; so, in the second experiement, researchers added PEG and hydralazine to the nanoparticles that were administered to the injury. It was then found that this treatment restored the damaged cell function caused by the acrolein.




The next step of this research is to test the PEG and hydralazine treatment on rats, and hopefully on paraplegic dogs.

http://www.neurosciencenews.com/nanoparticle-brain-spinal-treatment.htm


Staci Jessen Section 501