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Miami Project Works to

Cure Paralysis and

Help People With

Spinal Cord Injuries

BY DAVID VOLZ

ntil recently, a spinal cord injury
meant life confined to a wheel-
Uchair. Marc Buoniconti, the son
of Miami Dolphins player Nick
Bouniconti, injured his spinal cord while
playing college football. This traumatic
situation gave rise to the Miami Project
to Cure Paralysis.
The Miami Project is based at the
University of Miami Miller School of
Medicine and since the 1980s has been
working toward a cure for spinal cord
injury. And recently the project has
made some remarkable breakthroughs.
Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett was
treated by doctors using the knowledge
resulting from research at the Miami
Project to provide him with experimen- “Now we are working in a clinical
tal treatments initiated soon after his trials initiative. Our research has
injury. He is now in rehabilitation in shown that by using Schwann cells
Texas.
Dr. Mary Bartlett-Bunge has used labo- in combination with drugs there
ratory rats to perform research on spinal has been significant recovery in ani-
injuries. And the research has been mals. We are now making applica-
promising. Currently doctors are hoping
that the use of Schwann cells in combi- tion to the FDA so we can test these
nation with some drugs will allow drugs in people. We are hoping to
patients to recover at least some use of initiate transplantation on someone
their limbs following a spinal cord
injury. with a spinal cord injury in 2008.”
“Now we are working in a clinical tri-
als initiative,” Maria Amador, director of – Maria Amador
education for the Miami Project said.
“Our research has shown that by using torso. This helps support the body.
Schwann cells in combination with Different training methods are used to
drugs there has been significant recovery help them take steps.”
in animals. We are now making applica- This newly developed therapy involves
tion to the FDA so we can test these six to eight people who come in and spend
drugs in people. We are hoping to initi- four months working on relearning how
ate transplantation on someone with a to walk. Most have suffered traumatic
spinal cord injury in 2008.” accidents that caused spinal cord injuries.
Amador said the Project is still work- “The research volunteers are not cured
ing to test the safety of Schwann cells in but they have improvements in their abil-
humans. So far, the tests have involved ity to walk,” Amador said. “They might
rats but those tests have shown that rats not get rid of their wheelchairs, but they
with spinal cord injuries have been able often walk around their homes better.”
to recover some walking function. Another research program involves
Scientists working with Schwann cells using hand therapy combined with elec-
and drugs on rats have shown they can trical stimulation so individuals might
recover up to 70 percent coordination improve their grip. They are given differ-
with hind limbs and forelimbs, accord- ent activities to practice. This practice is
ing to Amador. combined with electrical stimulation. This
“The Miami Project has done the basic study is designed to help people recover
science and now we need to determine if and strengthen their grip in hand func-
the treatments can be useful to humans,” tion. Researchers are determining if this
Amador said. “A lot of people have vol- electrical stimulation treatment makes
unteered their time to helping in this effective changes in people’s brains,
project.” according to Amador.
But not everyone who suffers a spinal Even though Marc Buoniconti is still in
cord injury is confined to a wheelchair. a wheelchair, he has been able to serve as
Some people can recover a substantial president of the fundraising arm of the
portion of their mobility through exten- Miami Project. “About a third of our funds
sive physical and occupational therapy. come through grants and contracts,”
Researchers at the Miami Project are Amador said. “We have received funding
studying ways in which therapy can help from competitive grants from the NIH and
people with spinal cord injury improve the State of Florida. The rest has come
their function and quality of life. from fundraising and private donations.”
“We have a research program that eval- And the efforts will continue until a
uates Body Weight Support Gait cure has been found for spinal cord injury.
Training,” Amador said. “This is a research For more information about The Miami
program we are working on to evaluate Project, contact Maria Amador at
the therapy. An individual with paralysis is (305) 243-7108.
put into a harness that surrounds the

South Florida Hospital News hospitalnews.org December 2007 9