AstraZeneca’s drug has the potential to make paralyzed people stand up and walk?

Spinal cord paralysis, often caused by trauma, is a problem that causes permanent disability. At the most severe, the patient will completely lose sensation and mobility from the point of injury down, including the ability to control excretion and digestion. Severe spinal cord injury to the cervical spine can cause local death by “switching off” the heart, lungs, and other vital organs.

According to The Guardian, In the UK alone, there are 2,500 spinal cord injuries each year, many of which are still living with hemiplegia. Only some fortunate, injury is not too severe that physical therapy can help regain some function.

Spinal cord injury causing paralysis is an incurable problem, causing permanent disability for many people around the world – Illustration from AMERICAN JOBS INSTITUTE

Research from the University of Brimingham – UK unexpectedly found a miracle against the above incurable problem in AZD1236, a drug that AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company (headquartered in the UK, is the manufacturer of the vaccine). Covid-19 well known AstraZeneca/Oxford) developed to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

According to the above publication Clinical and Translational Medicine, It is the effect of blocking the activity of MMP-9 and MMP-12 enzymes of this drug that has brought the miracle, because these are also two enzymes that are elevated after spinal cord injury.

When treated with AZD1236, the spinal cord swelling of the mice suddenly decreased, the levels of proteins involved in inflammation and pain were also reduced, while limiting the breakdown of the blood-spinal barrier, Scar formation in the connective tissue is also significantly reduced.

Compared with mice that were just injured but not treated with AZD1236, but those given the drug for 3 days showed an 85% higher motor improvement after 6 weeks, and a higher recovery in neurological function. 80%.

The benefit is similar if the drug is used immediately after a spinal injury or 24 hours later.

“What we’re doing is reducing the damage to nerve tissue. That way, we’re preserving more and more neurons.” The Guardian quoted Professor Zubair Ahmed from the University of Brimingham, co-author of the study.

Professor Ahmed added that because AZD1236 has been shown to be safe in humans, they should be able to go to human clinical trials soon. The good results beyond the current expectations make scientists full of hope.