"Spine-Zapping Implant Gives New Life to Three People with Muscle-Wasting Disease" Let me know if you have any further questions or need help with anything else!

Title Spine-Zapping Implant Gives New Life to Three People with Muscle-Wasting Disease

Imagine regaining the ability to walk farther than before. For three individuals living with spinal muscle atrophy (SMA), a groundbreaking implantable device has made this a reality.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have reported the first evidence that this type of implant can help people with SMA regain some muscle function, at least temporarily. The study, published in Nature Medicine, involved three adults with SMA who received an implantable device that delivered low levels of electricity to their spinal cord.

SMA is a genetic disease that progressively destroys motor neurons, leading to muscle wasting and weakness. There is currently no cure for the condition, which can affect people of all ages, including children. Gene therapy Spinraza (nusinersen) has been approved to treat SMA in young children, while medications like natalizumab and deflazacort are used to slow disease progression in adults.

The researchers, led by Assistant Professor Marco Capogrosso, were inspired by their previous work on stimulating the spinal cord to help people with paralysis. They wondered if this technology could also be applied to SMA, by revving up sensory nerves that wake up damaged muscle cells and help them move.

The results were astounding. All three participants showed significant improvements in muscle strength and function, as well as increased walking distance and reduced fatigue. One participant who initially couldn't stand from a kneeling position was able to do so by the end of the study.

The people were definitely not expecting an improvement, Capogrosso said. They were getting better and better.

The implant's effects didn't disappear immediately when it was turned off, but they did fade over time. Study participant Doug McCullough, 57, who has SMA, reported that his legs still felt supercharged some nights even after the stimulator was removed.

While this study is small and short-term, neuroscientist Susan Harkema from the Kessler Foundation called it an important proof of concept. She suggested that the technology could be applied to other muscle-degenerating diseases.

As Capogrosso's team prepares for larger and longer studies, the potential implications are significant. This breakthrough has the potential to give people with SMA a new lease on life, and we eagerly anticipate the next steps in this research.

Keywords spinal muscle atrophy, SMA, spinal cord stimulation, implantable device, motor neurons, muscle wasting, neurodegenerative disease.

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Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

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