Developing New Methods of Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Using Magnetic Nanoparticles in Combination With Electromagnetic Field

Abstract

Objective: To determine the amount of loss of function after spinal cord transection of varying extents, and whether magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, in combination with an external magnetic field, improve the rate of subsequent functional recovery in rats. Methods: The animals were divided into groups with 50%, 80% and complete spinal cord transection. The animals of all three study groups were administered magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle suspension to the area of injury. The three control groups were not administered magnetic nanoparticles, but had corresponding transection levels. All animals were exposed to a magnetic field for 4 weeks. Loss of postoperative function and subsequent recovery were assessed using the BBB motor function scale and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring on the first day after surgery, and then weekly. Terminal histological analysis was also conducted in all the groups. Results: The animals in the control or complete transection groups did not demonstrate statistically significant improvement in either the BBB scores or evoked potential amplitude over the four-week period. In the group with 50% transection, however, a statistically significant increase in evoked potential amplitude and BBB scores was observed four weeks after surgery, with the highest increase during the second week of the study. In the group with 80% transection, only improvement in evoked potential amplitude was statistically significant, although less pronounced than in the 50% transection group. Conclusion: The use of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in combination with a magnetic field leads to higher rates of functional recovery after spinal cord injury in laboratory animals. The mechanism of this functional improvement needs further investigation.

Nanoparticles in traumatic spinal cord injury: therapy and diagnosis

“…In addition, measurement of the cavity area was revealed to be smaller in the 50% transection group, with lower collagen content despite pronounced glial reactions in the areas next to the lesions in the same group. 100 Another similar study was performed on male Wistar rats, where following a bilateral laminectomy, their spinal cord was completely transected at the level of the 11 th thoracic vertebra (13 th spinal segment). Then, immediately, IONPs embedded in agarose hydrogel was implanted at the site of SCI via intrathecal injection.…”