Supplement 'could aid walking after spinal injury'

A commonly used supplement could improve recovery from spinal cord injuries, research shows, meaning that less people could be dependent on assisted living after such injury.

University of Kentucky neuroscientists revealed that serious spinal cord injury could be treated through the use of supplement acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC).

This supplement was found to promote walking if administered soon after the injury.

Recovery was correlated with significant tissue sparing at the injury site following the receipt of ALC.

ALC is derived from essential amino acids designed to generate metabolic energy soon after injury.

It preserves the vitality of mitochondria as it acts as an alternative biofuel for cells, promoting neuroprotection, according to previous research.

Meanwhile, a study published in journal PLoS One has uncovered a new class of spinal cord stem cells which behave like neural stem cells.

This new type of cell could help to repair spinal cord injuries, study authors believe.

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