13 November 2012
Spinal Research
Spinal Research
I was lucky enough to attend Spinal Research’s ‘Research
Reception’ last week at Kings College, London.
The evening included a tour of the labs, with an opportunity
to see the ground breaking research that they are doing, and discuss this with
the Doctors, Professors and PhD students
working on the projects.
They are working on what was once thought impossible –
therapies that will restore movement, feeling and function – and transform the
lives of paralysed people. The treatment, using the bacterial enzyme
chondroitinase, has the potential to prevent or reverse paralysis following spinal injury.
The aim is to get the treatment to a form that is safe for use
in humans so that it can be taken to clinical trials.
Whilst it is very difficult to distil 10 years of research in to bite sized, understandable chunks
for groups of interested lay people, that is exactly what they managed to do –
with the trips around the labs, and a presentation pulling everything together
The one thing that everyone I spoke with had in common was
their enthusiasm for the work that they were carrying out, and their high
levels of motivation to get these projects where they need to be. Everyone seems
to have the end goal in sight – even though that it likely to be some years
away – and there is a real appreciation as to how even the smallest improvement
in function can make the world of difference, as described so eloquently on the
night by Den Eley, someone who has suffered a spinal cord injury, and who is
now a very active supporter of Spinal Research, and founder of the Dan Eley
foundation (www.danieleley.org)
There are better known charities out there, and probably
some that are an easier ‘sell’ – but this is truly cutting edge, ground breaking
work – that will hopefully change the
lives of victims of spinal injury in the future.
Spinal research need and deserve your support!!
Many thanks to everyone involved in the evening – it was
inspirational
Gavin Hannah
@SpinalResearch
http://www.facebook.com/SpinalResearch
