In this episode I talk with University of California San Diego neurologist and neuroscientist Mark Tuszynski about his bench to bedside research program that is aimed at reversing the neurological deficits in patients with spinal cord injury and Alzheimer’s disease. He and his co-workers have cleared major technological hurdles and have demonstrated the abilities of neurotrophic factors and stem cells to repair damaged circuits and restore function in rat and monkey models of spinal cord injury and Alzheimer’s disease. He talks about clinical trials of these regenerative medicine technologies in patients with spinal cord injury or Alzheimer’s disease.
LINKS:
Dr. Tuszynski’s lab page:
https://neurosciences.ucsd.edu/centers-programs/neural-repair/index.html
Combined therapy with stem cells and rehabilitation in spinal cord injury:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9462483/pdf/jciinsight-7-158000.pdf
Stem cell grafts restore circuitry in spinal cord injury:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7484050/pdf/nihms-1613321.pdf
3D printed scaffolds for spinal cord repair:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6559945/pdf/nihms-1030419.pdf
Enhancement of cognitive function in old monkeys https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2632603/pdf/nihms89097.pdf
Clinical trial of nerve growth factor gene therapy in Alzheimer’s patients:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7194314/pdf/hum.2019.367.pdf
