United Spinal's Action Online Magazine » Research

A Trial in India

Ziggi — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:18:39 +0000

| Polio Tips and Techniques

by Dr. Richard L. Bruno

A “maiden attempt” has been made by surgeons in India to implant stem cells into the spinal cords of a “handful” of children who had paralytic polio. Doctors report “encouraging” results as “one of the polio patients…is now able to move her limbs.” This experiment, which uses stem cells harvested from the children’s own bone marrow to prevent rejection, began three months ago and only has been tried on a handful of patients.

“This is just the beginning,” said surgeon D.K. Gupta. “This trial will be carried out for the next three [...]

United Spinal, Allergan and Henry Winkler Launch ‘Open Arms’ Campaign

Ziggi — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:45:41 +0000

Spasticity is a debilitating condition affecting approximately one million Americans. Many suffer from spasticity in the upper limbs following a stroke, a spinal cord or traumatic brain injury or due to disorders such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.

United Spinal Association is partnering with Allergan, Inc., actor Henry Winkler, and four national patient advocacy organizations to raise consciousness about upper limb spasticity and combat its under-diagnosis. The group’s website, www.OpenArmsCampaign.com, teaches how to recognize the symptoms of upper-limb spasticity and discover resources to treat the condition.

Allergan and the Open Arms Campaign will be exhibiting at United Spinal’s upcoming Independence Expo in Orlando, [...]

New ALS Registry for Research

Ziggi — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:35:56 +0000

| RESEARCH NEWS

According to www.healthdatamanagement.com, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently published a notice outlining steps to register individuals for listing in the new Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry, authorized under legislation signed in 2008.

According to the notice, “The purpose of the registry is to: (1) better describe the incidence and prevalence of ALS in the United States; (2) examine appropriate factors, such as environmental and occupational, that might be associated with the disease; (3) better outline key demographic factors (such as age, race or ethnicity, gender, and family history of individuals who are diagnosed with the disease) associated [...]

FDA Approves MS Oral Drug Treatment to Improve Walking

Ziggi — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:30:31 +0000

| RESEARCH NEWS

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has received marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Ampyra™ (dalfampridine), an oral treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. Ampyra demonstrated efficacy in people with all four major types of MS (relapsing remitting, secondary progressive, progressive relapsing and primary progressive). Ampyra can be used alone or with existing MS therapies, including immunomodulator drugs.

Ampyra, which was previously referred to as Fampridine-SR, is an extended release tablet formulation of dalfampridine (4-aminopyridine, 4-AP), which was previously called fampridine. The FDA [...]

Jim Bennett Foundation Dinner and Auction for SCI Research

Ziggi — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:54:17 +0000

An event of interest to United Spinal Association members. [...]

Forward with Ethical Stem Cell Research

Ziggi — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:21:41 +0000

| LEGISLATIVE NEWS

By Andrew Morris, Director of Legislation

United Spinal Association submitted comments to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in support of ethical embryonic stem cell research. The NIH had issued proposed guidelines in response to an Executive Order that President Obama signed in March of 2009 that reversed the Bush administration’s ban on embryonic stem cell research funded in any part with federal funds.

In our comments to NIH, United Spinal Association stated that we only support embryonic stem cell research of the strongest ethical caliber. We agreed with the Obama administration that such research must meet the following criteria:

(i) the only [...]