Tag: Dalton Dietrich
Transplantation Safety Trial Using Schwann Cells Completed Successfully
The Miami Project, at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, today announced the publication of its first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Phase I clinical trial involving Schwann cells used to repair the damaged spinal cord, in the February issue of the Journal of Neurotrauma. Schwann cells are essential for the repair of nerve damage, and long thought to be able to increase recovery after spinal cord injury. The trial, performed at University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, is the first in a series designed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of transplanting autologous human Schwann cells to treat individuals with spinal cord injuries.
Promising new therapy could ‘cure’ paralyzed patients
Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich, scientific director of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, was in Washington this week seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to start a clinical safety trial of a remarkable new therapy for those suffering from brain and spinal cord injuries.
The Miami Project was co-founded 26 years ago by neurosurgeon Barth Green and Hall of Fame middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti, who led the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ legendary No Name Defense — the only NFL team to win the Super Bowl after a perfect season.
In 1985, Buoniconti’s son, then a 19-year-old sophomore at the Citadel, severed his spinal cord during a college football game. Now 44 and president of the Miami Project, Marc Buoniconti is a quadriplegic who uses a motorized, breath-operated wheelchair to get around.
