Spinal cord injury recovery after Polyethylene glycol administration
Spinal cord injury can be divided into two stages of injury. First is the mechanical injury, then comes the death of the neurons which cause their surrounding neurons to die as well. It is this cascade reaction that causes the most damage. Polyethylene glycol can protect the damaged neuron (white matter) and restore function almost immediately, thus stopping the cascade reaction in its tracks. Apparently this holds true for brain injury as well. What it is:
http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Polymers/Polyethylene-Glycols-PEGs.htm
Some articles
http://www.fasebj.org/content/14/1/27.abstract
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1471-4159.2002.01160.x/full
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/neu.2005.22.1092
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/cpr/riyi/papers/64-Neuroprotection%20from%20secondary%20injury.pdf
http://www.apparelyzed.com/forums/topic/13350-findings-show-nanomedicine-promising-for-treating-spinal-cord-injuries/
Potential problems (toxicology)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T4P-4754BM8-W2&_user=10&_coverDate=01/01/1989&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor&view=c&_searchStrId=1530255620&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=06027ae15b5591bc3528b42d6a2961b1&searchtype=a
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T4P-4754BM8-W2&_user=10&_coverDate=01/01/1989&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=dc17a0e25fc847b5344255fa2184f1d5&searchtype=a
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6P-3YKM374-3R&_user=10&_coverDate=02/28/1995&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=4eceeab33d2b3febdb89dc2bd26f91e0&searchtype=a