In mice, loss of hindlimb motion due to spinal cord injury was significantly reversed by DNA encoding hyper-interleukin-6 (hIL-6), a designer cytokine. The DNA was delivered by an adeno-associated virus (AAV), which was injected just once, 30 min after spinal cord injury, into the sensorimotor cortex. This intervention promoted the regeneration of corticospinal and raphespinal fibers, improvements that led to locomotion improvements, as determined by tests using the Basso Mouse Scale and an automated catwalk gait analysis system. (excerpt)
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