Light promotes regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury
View Patent ↗The present invention relates generally to the treatment of SCI by stimulating axon regeneration within the central nerve system. One aspect of the present invention provides methods of treating SCI with low power laser irradiation (LPLI). Another aspect of the present invention provides methods of treating SCI by modulating a gene activity to stimulate axon regeneration. In this regard, the present invention also provides compositions that modulate genes expression relating to the neuron-regeneration after SCI. Another aspect of the present invention provides methods for evaluating the effectiveness of a treatment for SCI.
1. A method of treating spinal cord injury, comprising:
applying a first light source to a first portion of a skin surface overlying at least a portion of a spinal environment, wherein the light source has a wavelength of about 580 nm to about 850 nm;
wherein the spinal environment comprises the meninges, cerebrospinal fluid and spinal cord; and
wherein the light source and the first portion of the skin surface form a vector that generally intersects at least a portion of the spinal environment;
achieving a light density of at least about 0.1 mW/cm 2 at the portion of the skin surface;
maintaining the first light source to the portion of the skin surface generally for a first specified treatment period;
applying a second light source having a wavelength of about 580 nm to about 850 nm to a second portion of the skin surface overlying the central nervous system of a mammal, wherein the second portion of the skin surface overlies at least a portion of a motor cortex of a brain; and
terminating the second light source after a second specified treatment period.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a wavelength in the range of about 720 nm to about 820 nm.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a wavelength of about 810 nm.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step is a diode laser with a wavelength of about 810 nm.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a power in the range of about 12.5 mW to about 50 W.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a power of about 100 mW.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first specified treatment period of the maintaining step is two weeks.
8. A method of treating spinal cord injury, comprising:
applying a first light source to a first portion of a skin surface overlying at least a portion of a spinal environment, wherein the light source has a wavelength of about 580 nm to about 850 nm;
wherein the spinal environment comprises the meninges, cerebrospinal fluid and spinal cord; and
wherein the light source and the first portion of the skin surface form a vector that generally intersects at least a portion of the spinal environment;
achieving a light density of at least about 0. 1 mW/cm 2 at the portion of the skin surface;
maintaining the first light source to the portion of the skin surface generally for a first specified treatment period;
applying a second light source having a wavelength of about 580 nm to about 850 nm to a second portion of the skin surface overlying the central nervous system of a mammal, wherein the second portion of the skin surface overlies at least a portion of the motor cortex of the brain; and
terminating the second light source after a second specified treatment period;
wherein the first specified treatment period of the maintaining step is two weeks and the second specified treatment period of the terminating step is from about 11 days to about 15 days after the initiation of the first specified treatment period.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a wavelength in the range of about 720 nm to about 820 nm.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a wavelength of about 810 nm.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step is a diode laser with a wavelength of about 810 nm.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a power in the range of about 12.5 mW to about 50 W.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a power of about 100 mW.
14. A method of treating spinal cord injury, comprising:
applying a first light source to a first portion of a skin surface overlying at least a portion of a spinal environment, wherein the light source has a wavelength of about 580 nm to about 850 nm;
wherein the spinal environment comprises the meninges, cerebrospinal fluid and spinal cord; and
wherein the light source and the first portion of the skin surface form a vector that generally intersects at least a portion of the spinal environment;
achieving a light density of at least about 0. 1 mW/cm2 at the portion of the skin surface;
maintaining the first light source to the portion of the skin surface generally for a first specified treatment period, wherein the first specified treatment period is two weeks;
applying a second light source having a wavelength of about 580 nm to about 850 nm to a second portion of the skin surface overlying the central nervous system of a mammal; and
terminating the second light source after a second specified treatment period, wherein the second treatment period is from about 11 days to about 15 days after the initiation of the first specified treatment period.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second portion of skin surface in the second applying step overlies at least a portion of the motor cortex of the brain.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second portion of the skin surface in the second applying step overlies at least a portion of the spinal cord caudal to the site of spinal cord injury.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a wavelength in the range of about 720 nm to about 820 nm.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a wavelength of about 810 nm.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step is a diode laser with a wavelength of about 810 nm.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a power in the range of about 12.5 mW to about 50 W.
21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first light source of the first applying step has a power of about 100 mW.