Spinal injury
US researchers have developed a human spinal cord organoid model that reproduces injury responses and could speed regenerative therapies. Organoids are mini versions of organs grown from stem cells that mimic real tissue structure and function. For the first time, the model accurately replicated cell death, inflammation and glial scarring, a dense barrier that blocks [...]
Gary Dawson is Support Network Manager at the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA). Gary’s incredible peer support and fundraising efforts won him the Inspirational Contribution award at the 2025 NR Times Awards. We sat down with Gary to reflect on his remarkable journey from a life-changing motorcycle accident at age 19 to becoming an inspiration for [...]
Sixty-two children who underwent spinal surgery in Ireland are to receive clinical follow-up as a precaution after an independent review. The Health Service Executive is clinically reviewing the children following completion of an external report into the service. The review concerns the practice of an individual consultant and the environment in which they operated at [...]
Lincolnshire Community Hospitals Group has joined with Spinal Injuries Association to improve patient experiences for people who have lost bowel function after injury or illness. While no official figures on the prevalence of paralysed bowels exist, the charity estimates that over 457,000 people in the UK with neurological conditions, including spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, [...]
When Abbie Webb (32) from Gloucester sustained a spinal cord injury after what doctors believe to have been a spinal stroke, she struggled to return to her previous life. Now, six years later, she has gained a new resilience and is more active and adventurous than ever. In January 2019, Abbie had just moved into [...]
An experimental drug is showing promise for spinal cord injury patients, with early trial participants reporting improved walking and hand function. NVG-291 is given as a series of injections under the skin and is designed to help nerve fibres regrow around, or through, scar tissue at the injury site. Twenty patients were enrolled in a [...]
More than 500 children and young people with spinal cord injury will receive support thanks to £60,000 from the London Freemasons. The three-year grant has been awarded to the Back Up Trust through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, funded by Freemasons, their families and friends from across England and Wales. Every year, more than 200 children [...]
Over 100 patients with spinal conditions attended a community assessment day aimed at improving ongoing health and wellbeing ahead of future appointments and treatment. The Spinal Community Assessment Day is a collaborative pilot between The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, the Spinal Clinical Network, Everton in the Community and local community services, aimed at improving [...]
Researchers have grown key brain cells linked to MND and damaged in spinal injuries, opening a path to better disease models and regenerative therapies. The findings lay foundations for disease models and potentially regenerative treatments for conditions including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of motor neurone disease, and spinal cord injury. Corticospinal [...]
A new Irish study reports a sharp rise in nitrous oxide spinal cord damage among young people. The gas, commonly known as laughing gas, is legal for industrial and catering use. Youth workers and community groups say children and young people increasingly inhale it from balloons. Research led by Seamus Looby, consultant neuroradiologist at Dublin’s [...]
