Proneuron Experiment

Ryan may have the opportunity to participate in an experimental operation that may increase his chances of getting some limited feeling below his current level of complete paralysis-about midway down his chest. The research experiment began in Israel and yielded encouraging results. However, as is common in the first phase of research experiments, there was no control group to compare against. The experimental surgery is in phase II and is offered in six locations in the United States. The FDA has approved the experiment for 61 patients, Ryan would be number 44. About 2/3 of the patients will be in the experimental group and receive the new treatment while 1/3 will be in the control group and not receive the new treatment. Ryan will find out Monday, January 2nd whether he qualifies for the experiment and whether he will be in the experimental group or the control group.

The experimental procedure attempts to create healing in the spinal cord that naturally occurs elsewhere in the body but does not occur in the spinal cord because it has no blood flow to it. Non-spinal cord injuries are healed when white blood cells at the injury site produce macrophages (white blood cells) that repair the damaged tissue. In order to simulate this process in the spinal cord, a patient’s skin and blood are combined and injected into the spinal cord in six sites about 1.5” below the injury site. In order to qualify for the experiment, Ryan must have the surgery within 14 days after his injury and must pass a number of detailed screening tests. Ryan was tested today but has not yet received the results. If the results do not disqualify him from the experiment, he will be placed into the experimental or control group. If Ryan is placed into the experimental group, a plastic surgeon will cut a diamond shaped piece of skin out of Ryan’s inner upper arm. The cut will measure about 2 1/4” x 4 1/2”. Also, Ryan will have some of his blood drawn from his chest above his heart because it has the highest oxygen content there. The skin and blood will be combined and the white blood cells will be incubated for 36 hours before an operation to inject it into his spinal cord. The surgery will be delicate, requiring the surgeon to remove the rods on the back of Ryan’s spinal column inserted during his first surgery, cut through the dura, make the macrophage injections and cover the incision with dura from a cadaver.

Ryan has been optimistic about the experiment from the first time he heard about it. Ryan is in excellent health and would be a great candidate for the surgery. Nevertheless, 1/3 of all those who are involved in the experiment will be in the control group and not receive the experimental treatment. Ryan feels that even if he does not receive the treatment, he feels he can contribute to the experiment as a whole. For more information about the experiment, look at www.spinalcordtrial.com