Finding a cure

Spinal cord injury is a crush or tear of the spinal cord – the resulting scarring can block communication between the brain and body, resulting in paralysis. The higher the injury, the more extensive the paralysis.

A break in the neck results in quadriplegia with no feeling or movement in the patient’s arms and legs and no control of bladder, bowel or sexual function. A break in the back results in paraplegia which paralysis the patient’s legs and again no control of  bladder, bowel or sexual function. In order to recover a significant degree of function in the lower body, we need to achieve the following goals in a comprehensive treatment. Fortunately, recent research has demonstrated that each of these can be achieved:

1. neutralize or remove the scar
2. bridge the gap at the scar region
3. replace lost cells
4. stimulate growth to induce regeneration of nerves
5. remyelinate nerve fibres

Our fight to find a cure is strengthened everyday with significant progress being made in research into spinal cord regeneration.  This research is the platform that will enable us to discover how to rebuild the pathways which allow messages to be passed from the brain around the body and re-enable movement and control of bladder, bowel and sexual function.

There are six areas of research which could lead us to a cure:

1. Use of promoters to stimulate the growth of nerve fibres (axons)
2. Blocking of factors released in the injured cord which inhibit the growth of axons 
3. Removal of the barriers of scar and cystic cavities which occur in response to injury
4. Implantation of helper cells that stimulate the growth of axons
5. Implantation of scaffolds or matrices which can guide regenerating axons to the right targets
6. Implantation of nerve cells or nerve stem cells to replace those that have been lost

StepAhead believes there is no single solution and that’s why our scientific approach focuses on a combination of processes in the pursuit to find a cure.

Here’s where you come in.

We need your help
to speed things along.

We need your support to continue to connect the world’s leading researchers and clinicians with spinal cord patients and their families to remove the barriers and find a solution today and not tomorrow.

That’s the
StepAhead Australia
challenge to you.