Henry takes it one step at a time. Photo: Geoff Robinson Photography
As first reported by Ananova, six-year-old Henry lost the use of his legs last November, after rupturing discs in his spine. Henry had surgery to ease the pressure on his backbone, but the operation didn't restore his ability to walk. His owner, Sarah Beech, heard about a new therapy for spinal cord injuries being tested at Cambridge, and signed him up. A month later, Henry took his first small step, reports the Telegraph.
Clearly, curing paralysis would be a very big deal indeed, but it's definitely too early to start wagging tails, says Nick Jeffery, a professor of veterinary clinical studies at Cambridge Veterinary School and a co-leader of the study Henry is enrolled in. "We've just started a clinical trial, and there are no results yet," he tells Paw Nation.
The therapy being tested involves removing cells from the junction between the nose and the brain, Jeffery explains. Those cells support the growth of new nerves. "The idea is, you transplant those cells into the spinal cord, and [they will] help the damaged nerve fibers to grow," Jeffrey tells Paw Nation.
Read more about Henry and the study he participated in on the next page.
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