New Hope for Spinal Injuries

Henry the miniature dachshund should "paws" to give thanks to Cambridge University scientists, who’ve put the once paralyzed dog back on his feet.

The ground-breaking treatment – which involved injecting cells from the dog’s nose into his spine – has also given fresh hope to humans with severe spinal injuries.

Last November, 6-year-old Henry ruptured discs in his spine. Cambridge scientists Nick Jeffery and Robert Franklin knew the nose-to-spine transplant had worked on rats, so they decided to try it on a dog. (The nose cells are used because they help the growth of new nerve fibers.)

The surgery – plus physiotherapy – got the dog walking again (sometimes on a treadmill).

"We hope if the results are positive in a few years time the treatment could perhaps be used to help people," Jeffrey told the UK’s Daily Mail.

Henry’s owner Sarah Beech was delighted with the results.

"It's incredible, I didn't think Henry would ever be able to walk again, but over the last few months he has been wagging his tail and taking small steps," Beech, who lives in Birmingham, told the Mail. "The vet told me to put him to sleep because he wouldn't have a very good quality of life and he was very depressed. But this treatment has really helped."

There’s life in the old dog yet.

Photo courtesy Caro Wallis via Flickr.