Protein concentrate can reduce spinal cord damage: Study

The protein concentrate apoptotic secretome (APOSEC) extracted from white blood cells is capable of reducing damage that occurs as a result of spinal cord injuries, the Medical University of Vienna has said in a press release.

Tests conducted on animals showed that if an injection of the APOSEC agent was administered in the abdominal cavity 40 minutes after the spinal injury occurred, "severe consequential paralysis" could be avoided, according to the results from a new study by the university.

In addition, the protein concentrate was also shown to boost regeneration through vascularisation, Xinhua news agency reported citing the release issued Wednesday.

"It seems that APOSEC influences the severity of paralysis decisively," said Hendrik Jan Ankersmit from the University's Department of Thoracic Surgery.

The APOSEC protein concentrate is a soluble solution that is extracted from white blood cells under irradiation, a process said to be straight forward and relatively inexpensive. It can also be freeze-dried for later use if necessary, researchers stated.

Researchers used humane virus-inactivated APOSEC in its testing, which has also been approved for use on humans by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety.

The research group demonstrated that the injection of APOSEC showed positive results during an experimental acute stroke, with the effects of stroke damage in animals reduced by 30 percent.

The full results of the study have been published in the journal Experimental Neurology.