New therapy for spinal cord injuries

Total ReCord, a Massachusetts-based company developing and commercialising therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, plans to begin clinical trials in early 2006 with a new treatment for patients with spinal cord injuries.

RMx, the company's lead product, is a new non-cellular, non-drug based class of biotherapeutics that draws on the body's natural regenerative processes to stimulate the growth of new central nervous system tissue. Such innovations could potentially restore movement to victims of paralysis, stroke, and multiple sclerosis.

'RMx is a promising alternative to embryonic stem cells that may have significant potential in the treatment of spinal cord injuries,' said Dr John McDonald, executive vice-president and director of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

RMx is based on the principle of suppressing certain wound healing processes that interfere with central nervous system tissue regeneration, while enhancing the desirable traits of these processes. It first cleans out the site of damaged tissue and allows for new cell growth. It slows development of scar tissue that can inhibit the regeneration of surviving axons and stimulates the formation and elongation of new neurites. After this new tissue is grown, it can be trained to function in the body to restore movement, even weight- bearing steps in patients with spinal cord injuries.

In pre-clinical studies, animals that had experienced traumatic damage to their spinal cords and were initially completely paralysed were soon able to move about after treatment with RMx. In most cases, they were able to make weight-bearing steps. However, the extent of recovery that can be achieved with RMx in human patients will only become evident after the human clinical studies.

Founder and ceo Jan-Eric Ahlfors is hopeful that following the first phases of human clinical trials, RMx will be placed on fast-track status for FDA approval.