Are shcwann cells useful for repairing spinal cord injuries Research Paper

Are shcwann cells useful for repairing spinal cord injuries - Research Paper Example The best cells for bridge-building are Schwann cells, because they are easy to get from patients and because they support perfect axon regeneration (Oudega & Xu, 2006). The only problem is that Schwann cells will not mix with the connective tissue cells of the spinal cord, so the bridges will not integrate with the spinal cord. Studies are underway on how to Schwann cells interact with connective tisues cells of the spinal cord and how to get them integrate. Schwann cells are also the cells in peripheral nerves that form myelin sheaths. They are not usually found in the brain or spinal cord where another neurological cell, the ogliodendrocyte, is responsible for making myelin. Researchers have shown that Schwann cells grafted into the brain can myelinate central axons (Oudega & Xu, 2006). When the loss of myelin is an important part of injury, implanting Schwann cells could stimulate remyelination and thereby restore function. Schwann cells, nerve cells and some other cells make proteins known to nourish nerve cells called "growth factors". By introducing these factors into injury sites alone or in combination with grafts, researchers hope to stimulate additional nerve regeneration and promote the health of nerve cells. This approach has been shown to stimulate CNS regeneration, including growth of axons from nerve cells within the spinal cord and those from the brain that send their long axons down the spinal cord. Significant restoration of function has not yet been achieved. Also Pieces of Engineered Neural Tissue (EngNT) are formed by controlling natural Schwann cell behavior in a three-dimensional collagen gel so that the cells elongate and align, and then a stabilization process removes excess fluid to leave robust artificial tissues. These living biomaterials contain aligned Schwann cells in an aligned collagen environment, recreating key features of normal nerve tissue. Incorrect