Low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy for improvement of locomotor and sensory functions after spinal cord injury

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26462227
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Orthopaedic surgery
• Research Institution: Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University (2016); Tohoku University (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: OZAWA Hiroshi 東北医科薬科大学, 医学部, 教授 (10312563)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脊髄損傷 / 体外低出力衝撃波 / 治療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) increases expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cultured endothelial cells. We investigated the cell specificity of VEGF expression in injured spinal cords and angiogenesis induced by low-energy ESWT, and examined the neuroprotective effects of low-energy ESWT on cell death, axonal damage, and white matter sparing as well as the therapeutic effect for improvement of sensory function following spinal cord injury (SCI).
The results of this study suggested that low-energy ESWT promotes VEGF expression in various neural cells and enhances angiogenesis in damaged neural tissue after SCI. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effect of VEGF induced by low-energy ESWT can suppress cell death and axonal damage and consequently improve locomotor and sensory functions after SCI. Thus, low-energy ESWT can be a novel therapeutic strategy for treatment of SCI.

Free Research Field

整形外科学