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On Oct. 11, actor/director Christopher Reeve will be the featured guest speaker at a dinner and auction to benefit spinal cord injury research. The event, "Gateway to a Cure," will be at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and is sponsored by Saint Louis University, HealthSouth and "Pucks of Power." The honorary chairman of the event is St. Louis Cardinals president and SLU graduate Mark C. Lamping.
Proceeds from the awards dinner and auction will support spinal cord injury research at the School of Medicine. Local individuals who have shown outstanding courage in their lives and who contribute to the ongoing journey for freedom despite their disabilities also will be recognized at the event.
Since sustaining a spinal cord injury in a horseback riding accident, Reeve has dedicated his life to finding a cure. Reeve is a leader in the fight for spinal cord injury research funds. He has spoken to Congress about the need for more research and continues to raise funds for research from private donors.
There are more than 10,000 spinal cord injuries each year, of which 8 percent affect men between the ages of 17 and 24. More than 250,000 Americans are now disabled as a result, and every 35 minutes someone is told that they will never walk again. Promising research has shown that paralysis is reversible. With support, researchers hope to find a cure in the not-too-distant future.
Spinal cord injury researchers at the School of Medicine continue to examine both pharmaceutical treatments to limit impairment at the time of injury and techniques for spinal cord regeneration. Funds from the benefit will support research being conducted by Dr. Xiao Ming Xu, assistant professor in the department of anatomy and neurobiology.
Xu's research is two-fold. It includes the stimulation of injured nerve fibers to aid regeneration at the site of the injury; and the transplantation of a specialized, nerve-supporting cell to promote the growth of new nerve fibers and span the gap where the cord was severed. The cellular graft effectively could provide bridge-like support and the environment necessary for nerve fiber regeneration.
"This strategy is encouraged by the observation that having even less than 10 percent of the nerve fibers in the injured spinal cord can still result in substantially improved spinal cord function," Xu said. "It is our hope that through the knowledge gained from our research, multiple therapies can be developed to overcome this debilitating injury."
Despite the alarmingly low amounts of money spent on spinal cord injury research, medical advances such as Xu's still indicate that a cure can be found in the next five to 10 years. Current levels of funding are extremely low, approximately $17 million to $20 million a year from the federal government. Private donations must make up the difference.
Individuals and businesses are invited to support "Gateway to a Cure" through various levels of sponsorship. Gifts-in-kind or items for the silent or oral auction also would be appreciated. For information on corporate and individual sponsorships and tickets, call Kathy Wilson of HealthSouth at 469-5454.
Editor's Note: Additional information about Christopher Reeve's search for a cure and spinal cord research can be found at his web site Circle Of Friends.