Special issue of Cell Transplantation features research presented at IANR

Meeting in Amman, Jordan April 27-30, 2011, members of the International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR) presented research aimed at improving the lives of people with neurological conditions such as amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, stroke and muscular dystrophy through a variety of therapies, including cell transplantation. The field of neurorestoratology has emerged as a new discipline in neuroscience, exploring the impact of cell transplantation and other factors on neurological recovery.

This special issue of Cell Transplantation (21:Suppl 1), now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/2012/00000021/a00101s1, is devoted to studies presented at the IANR.

According to Hongyun Huang, MD, PhD, founding president of IANR, the articles selected from the papers presented in 2011 appearing in the special issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION focus on the results of clinical translational medicine that provide evidence for successful neurorestoration in human patients.

"Obstacles hindering the promising methods of neurorestoratology from being translated from the bench to the bedside include political, religious, ethical, economic and scientific factors working often in combinations," said Dr. Huang. "Future directions for neurorestoratology include the integration of current methods and those on the horizon in order to optimize regimes and develop neurorestoratology treatment guidelines."

Provided by Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair