Nerve Regrowth

Continuing our discussion on repairing the human body, we turn our attention to the subjects of nerve regeneration and nerve remapping. A key component of recovering from dramatic injuries (and as we’ll see later, expanding human capabilities) is finding a way to reestablish the connection between the brain and the severed nerves of injured areas.

Reversing paralysis has been a major area of research for a long time. For people who have been paralyzed, there has been very little to no hope of ever recovering the full use of their afflicted bodies. But things are changing and a hefty amount of advances in this field suggests that severe paralysis will soon become reversible.

For many years, the biggest obstacle was the regrowth of neurons, which was simply assumed to be impossible through natural means due to the scarring that forms around the site of injury. Yet earlier in this decade, several breakthroughs were achieved that changed these assumptions. First, scientist at King’s College London discovered a bacterial enzyme, which “destroys some of the molecules in the scar, allowing nerves a path along which to grow back”. That same year, scientists at the University of Texas discovered a way of turning stem cells into neurons by implanting them directly into the central nervous system. This is especially important given that scientists had previously been unable to generate new nerve cells.

Since then, research has progressed swiftly, with new breakthroughs coming on a regular basis. Researchers have focused on many ways to regenerate control and feel of paralyzed areas by literally rewiring the brain and rerouting signals around afflicted areas, be it by using computers, or by growing nerve cells around the severed point. The key thing to note is that scientists are finding real success using these techniques, and restoring the feel and control of paralyzed limbs is no longer the realm of science fiction. Within 20 years, I fully expect remedies to be available to all humans affected by physical paralysis.

The other benefit of this area of research is of course tied to the topic from last week: improving the human body. For prosthetics and augmentations to become really useful, they need to be controllable by the host human body. Well, the science in this area is also well along, and researchers are close to being able to provide real feel and touch and control using prosthetic limbs. One of the major scientific mainstream stories this past year was of a monkey remotely controlling a robotic arm using solely his brain signals. The implications for paralysis victims are immediately discernible.

I should note that brain control of foreign objects is a huge subject and a fascinating one for me. The possibilities that it opens up, especially in terms of interfacing with various devices, is compelling. Think about being able to control any device you interact with (like a television, a car, a computer) simply with your mind. It’s truly telepathy. This ability definitely lies in our near future and it is a subject that I will be sure to revisit many times.

Related posts:

1. Medical Advances in Cancer
2. Repairing the Human Body
3. Novel Energy Uses
4. Improving the Human Body