The Spinal Cord

Stem cell biologist brings new hope for diabetes treatments

Applications for stem cells were once considered �futuristic.� But today�s research is ushering in a new era in which these cells are a source of great hope for use in regenerative medicine, as well as in the development of new drugs to prevent and treat illnesses including diabetes, Parkinson�s disease, spinal cord injury and macular degeneration.

Dr. Ian Rogers, an Associate Scientist at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, is on the forefront of creating stem-cell based treatments for diabetes. He and his colleagues are using stem cells to create natural replacements for essential cells in the pancreas that are destroyed by the illness, specifically in Type 1 diabetes.

For the past five years, Dr. Rogers has been focused on developing the regenerative capacity of umbilical cord and adult stem cells for clinical use, and so making them a part of the future standard of care. His latest project involves developing induced pluripotent stem cells�which have the ability to develop into many different types of cells�from umbilical cord blood cells. Increasing the regenerative capacity of cord blood cells would extend their healing power beyond the blood diseases for which they are used currently.

�For the treatment of diabetes, we can differentiate stem cells into the critical cells of the pancreas that, in healthy people, measure blood sugar and produce the amount of insulin required to process it,� says Dr. Rogers. �These specialized cells would then be implanted in people with diabetes to reactivate the natural process.�

At this stage, Dr. Rogers� team is building a pancreas out of a surgical sponge, in effect a three-dimensional structure seeded with insulin-producing islet cells. Ideally, the pancreas would be grown in the lab and then placed under the skin of a person with Type 1 diabetes to restore their insulin production.

This is a highly sophisticated procedure, says Dr. Rogers. The most advanced research project in his lab is much simpler: regenerating blood vessels so people with Type 2 diabetes who have damaged fingers and toes, (resulting from peripheral vascular disease) can avoid amputation.

So far the pancreatic stem cell technique has been studied in mice with promising results, although trials in humans are several years away. Lab studies have demonstrated that mice with a damaged pancreas can regulate their blood glucose levels within normal ranges with the transplanted cells. Coaxing the stem cells to develop into functional islets is not efficient enough to start clinical trials, but Dr. Rogers� group is now working to fix this problem.

Spinal cord injury victim preparing to tackle Mount Snowdon

A Rochdale spinal injury victim is preparing to tackle Mount Snowdon in Wales, to raise money for the Back-Up Trust.

Andy Walker was paralysed from the neck down in a freak accident, but is ready to tackle the 3,560-foot peak with a team of friends.

Some £5,427 has been raised so far, which is just over halfway towards the £9,000 target.

Mr Walker, who was left paralysed after suffering a spinal cord injury in a freak accident while diving in India in 2006, said that all the money raised is a inspiration to the team taking part.

"The gruelling challenge, motivation, team spirit required and intensity of pushing my 6ft 4, 14 stone dead weight body up Snowdon should not be underestimated," he added.

Last summer, Mr Walker and 18 friends scaled Britain's third highest mountain, Helvellyn in the Lake District, in wet and rainy conditions.

To raise more support for his campaign, Mr Walker has appeared on ITV's This Morning.

The spinal cord, a Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation text and atlas

The Spinal Cord

The spinal cord, basic aspects and surgical considerations

The Spinal cord, a Ciba Foundation symposium

The spinal cord