New clinical trial in Australia underway for spinal injury treatment

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A treatment for spinal cord injuries has so far eluded medical researchers. Now Australian scientists are embarking on a landmark clinical trial using unique nasal cells. They hope it'll one day help transform the lives of patients.

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00:00Joseph Purnew was a talented rugby league player with a bright future.

00:07Known as Big Joe, the teenager had been signed by the Titans,

00:12but last year his life changed in an instant.

00:16I was playing footy and collided with a goalpost.

00:21His spinal cord was severed, the catastrophic injury keeping him in hospital for 11 months.

00:27Getting the news that I may not be able to move or walk again,

00:32it's obviously the greatest news to hear.

00:35The now 18-year-old came home just in time for his school formal.

00:39He's patiently working to regain some function.

00:43It's individuals like Joe these Queensland scientists want to help.

00:49Decades of groundwork has led to a Phase 1 clinical trial.

00:53They're using a patient's own olfactory cells to grow nerve bridges,

00:58which are transplanted into their injured spinal cord.

01:02The olfactory and sheathing cells have very special properties.

01:04The olfactory nerve is the only nerve in our body that regenerates every day as part of its normal function.

01:11Alongside physical rehabilitation, it's hoped the therapy will improve sensory, motor, bowel and bladder function.

01:19It gives them more independence, less care or support,

01:22and they can get back to jobs or to education or to get out into the community more easily.

01:27It can seem small, but for us it means the world and can make a major difference in our lives.

01:3330 participants will be recruited from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

01:37Some people have even moved here from overseas in the hope they'll be accepted.

01:42While the trial is only in its infancy and will need more funding, it's a cause for optimism.

01:48Baby steps.

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