New emergency treatment for spinal cord injury

Recognition of the phenomenon of “excitotoxicity” has spawned intensive research in the field of neurotrauma and associated disciplines. The pre-clinical and clinical studies suggest that neurotrauma immediately elevates extracellular glutamate levels, which creates excitotoxicity and facilitates inflammation, glial scar formation, and, consequently, neuronal death.
Blood Glutamate Scavenging (BGS) is a novel paradigm for emergency neuroprotective treatment. We have used a novel strategy in which excess glutamate is removed from the CNS into the systemic blood circulation following administration of a blood glutamate scavengers. Administering BGS induced a remarkable protection of neurons and prevent axonal degeneration, and as a result, a significant functional recovery in hemisection, compression and contusion spinal cord injury models.
Currently, we lack therapies that generate neuroprotection and functional improvements and boost the quality of life of SCI patients. The ability of this method to remove excess glutamate from CNS without the need to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and with minimal or no adverse effects may provide a major therapeutic asset. This could also enable this treatment technology to be easily implemented within the first hour post-injury by any first aid team in the field. The proposed BGS treatment, which has minimal or no adverse effects, will offer a new in-field emergency neuroprotective treatment for SCI patients.