Doctors from Otago University are planning an operation to help people who are paralysed. They plan to take nerve cells from the patient’s nose and put those cells into the patient’s spinal cord. They hope that the new nerve cells will make the old nerves in the spinal cord grow again.

Some successful research using this method was first tried in Portugal. Now China, Italy and Japan are also using this method. New Zealand scientists have been trying this with animals but they now feel it is time to use it with people. Results from these other countries show that many patients have made some small improvements such as gaining some feeling in their lower body. This could help patients gain control of the bladder so that they know when to go to the toilet. For someone in a wheelchair, this makes a big difference to his or her life.

In New Zealand, we have around 70 new patients with spinal cord injuries every year. Most of these are the result of car accidents but a large number are sports injuries. The nerves in the spinal cord do not repair themselves so this is the reason to put in new nerve cells. Only 12 patients will be chosen for this treatment at first.

The doctors still have to get approval from the Ethics Committee before they can start the treatment of patients. They also need to raise $2 million dollars. The Spinal Cord Society is trying to raise this money so that treatment can begin later this year.