ALC supplement ‘could aid spinal cord injury treatment’

The commonly used supplement acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) could play an important role in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, according to new research.

Neuroscientists from the University of Kentucky have found that this supplement – a derivative of amino acids that generate metabolic energy – can help preserve the vitality of mitochondria at the injury site.

Typically, these parts of the cell become overloaded by chemical stress upon injury and lose the ability to produce energy, which results in cell death and subsequent paralysis.

Trials using animal models found that administering ALC was associated with an increase in subjects regaining the ability to walk following a paralysing injury, within an unusually small timeframe.

It is thought that this could open the door for new treatment methods following traumatic spinal cord injuries in future.

Earlier this month, it was reported that a University of British Columbia-led study has discovered a new type of spinal cord cell that could be instrumental in the creation of new stem cell therapies.