Patent ID: 8883716

Claim:
A method for alleviating damaged neural tissue or damaged glia cells subject in need thereof, comprising: implanting a first therapy delivery element comprising a therapy delivery region in the subject; positioning the therapy delivery region of the first therapy delivery element in a first CNS region containing endogenous stem cells selected from the group consisting of a subventricular zone of a lateral ventricle, a central canal of a spinal cord, a subgranular zone of the hippocampus; implanting a second therapy delivery element comprising a therapy delivery region in the subject; positioning the therapy delivery region of the second therapy delivery element in a second CNS region having the damaged neural tissue or glial cells; applying a first therapy to the first CNS region via the therapy delivery region of the first therapy delivery element, the first therapy configured to promote the endogenous stem cells to proliferate, migrate, or differentiate, the first therapy including (i) an electrical signal having a frequency of between about 1 Hz and 150 Hz, or (ii) a therapeutic agent selected from the group consisting of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), neurotrophin-5 (NT-5), bone morphogenic protein (BMP), stromal cell factor (SCF), and anti-Nogo-A antibody; and applying a second therapy to the second CNS region via the therapy delivery region of the second therapy delivery element, the second therapy including (i) an electrical signal having a frequency of between about 1 Hz and 150 Hz, or (ii) a therapeutic agent selected from the group consisting of CNTF, GDNF, BDNF, FGF, VEGF, NT-3, TGF-alpha, EGF, IGF-1, NT-4, NT-5, EGF, BMP, and SCF, anti-Nogo-A antibody, wherein the first therapy delivery element is a catheter or a lead and the therapy delivery region of the first therapy element is an infusion section or an electrode, wherein the second therapy delivery element is a catheter or a lead and the therapy delivery region of the second therapy delivery element is an infusion section or an electrode, and wherein the first therapy and the second therapy are the same or different.