Spinal Cord Society of Australia

This year has seen our researchers, through meticulous study, achieve animal transplantations with human bone marrow cells in both acute and chronic animals with spinal cord injury. The therapeutic potential of this human bone marrow stem cell study shows significant and definite locomotion improvement in both acute and chronic rats.

We intend to extend this study by combining human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) with Decorin - a proven scar reducing compound. This project is a collaborative effort between the REDS Spinal Cord Laboratory (University of WA) headed by Dr Giles Plant, The Adult Stem Cell Laboratory of The St Vincent's Hospital Medical Research Institute (SVHMRI) under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Paul Simmons.

A further project, at the Australian Stem Cell Centre, will explore the use of extra-cellular matrix as a template for spinal cord repair. Prof. Steven Livesey and Dr. Kathy Traianedes have developed a technique in which skin tissues can be processed to remove cells and leave a molecular scaffold. This matrix, which is not rejected by the body, has been used to treat over 1 million people for a variety of soft tissue defects. We plan to translate this work for use in spinal cord repair. SCSA has a number of exciting research projects in the pipeline awaiting approval and funding.