A revolutionary operation led by University scientists has enabled paralysed dogs to walk again. Dogs that had lost the use of their back legs through spinal injuries underwent surgery to transplant cells from the nose to the spine, the first time that spinal cord repair has been carried out successfully in “real life” injury cases. Scientists believe that the same surgery technique could lead to advances in the treatment of humans with spinal cord injuries.

Professor Robin Franklin, Director of Research at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, said: “Our findings are extremely exciting because they show for the first time that transplanting these types of cell into a severely damaged spinal cord can bring about significant improvement.”

The study involved 34 dogs, all suffering from severe spinal damage including slipped discs (which is a common cause of paralysis in dogs). 23 of the dogs underwent surgery to transplant olfactory ensheathing cells from the nasal cavity to the spinal cord, and all of these demonstrated significant improvement in mobility. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), which maintain a communication pathway between the nose and the brain by supporting nerve fibre growth, were taken from the lining of each dog’s own nose and injected into the injury site.

The trial, published in the journal Brain, which specialises in neurology, was carried out “double blind”, with neither the researchers nor the owners of the dogs knowing which animals were receiving the transplant surgery. Of the 11 dogs that did not receive the surgery, one was only injected with the liquid that contained the cells. However, only those injected with OECs saw any significant improvement.

The mobility of the animals was assessed using a treadmill. A video of this, showing the difference in mobility from the start to the end of the trial, can be found online. The dogs were also tested at one month intervals for any signs of neurological improvement.

The ones that had received surgery were able to move their previously paralysed limbs and could co-ordinate them with their front legs. However, Professor Franklin urged a cautious response to the news from spine-injury patients: “We’re confident that the technique might be able to restore at least a small amount of movement in human patients with spinal cord injuries, but that’s a long way from saying they might be able to regain all lost function.”

“It’s more likely that this procedure might one day be used as part of a combination of treatments, alongside drug and physical therapies, for example.”

Scientists discovered that the nerve connections, newly strengthened as a result of the cell transplants, were only generated over short distances within the spinal cord.

However, the study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, is likely to provide a basis for further clinical trials on humans. The improvement in mobility in May Hay’s dog Jasper was so great that he was featured on Channel 4 News and ITV News and can now be seen on Youtube. Mrs Hay said: 

“Before the trial, Jasper was unable to walk at all. But now we can’t stop him whizzing round the house and he can even keep up with the two other dogs we own. It’s utterly magic.”