Researchers at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research studied rats with crushed spinal cords. The scientists found treatment soon after injury, combining radiation therapy to destroy harmful cells and microsurgery to drain excess fluids, significantly helped the body repair the injured cord.

The scientists, led by Nurit Kalderon, said their findings demonstrate conventional clinical procedures hold promise for preventing paralysis due to spinal cord injuries. Currently there is no cure for human spinal cord injury.

"This research opens the door to developing a clinical protocol for curing human spinal cord injuries using conventional therapies," said Kalderon.

The study, supported by a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, appears in the online journal PLoS One.