For Spinal Cord Injury Victims

[wallyg]

B) Stem Cell Injections Repair Spinal Cord Injuries in Mice

Scientists Say Approach Is Not Ready for Testing in Humans

By Rick Weiss

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Page A02

Mice with severe spinal cord injuries regained much of their ability to walk normally after getting injections of stem cells taken from the brains of human fetuses, scientists in California reported yesterday.

The work strengthens recent evidence that various kinds of stem cells -- including some from human embryos and others from fetuses -- have the capacity to nurse injured nerve cells back to health and in some cases even become replacement neurons themselves.

Scientists cautioned that the approach was not ready for testing in patients with spinal cord diseases or injuries. "This is a first step in what has to be a long series of steps to get to anything clinical," said Aileen Anderson, a neuroscientist at the University of California at Irvine, who led the latest work with colleague Brian Cummings.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...?referrer=email

[Guest DSTARR]

The problem with us spinal cord veterans is that the injections have to be given with in a few days of the injury.Not going to hold my breath for this technalogy DS

[Josh]

I Would love to find something that works but am not ready to volunteer to be a laboratory rat. Had that done to me while at the VA hospital and it was not by my choice. The medical types should have learned alot about spinal cord injuries in my case but it was to their advantage not to say anything that would have stopped the seemingly never ending disaster.

Josh

Edited December 28, 2005 by Josh

[Mike Soumis]

I Would love to find something that works but am not ready to volunteer to be a laboratory rat. Had that done to me while at the VA hospital and it was not by my choice. The medical types should have learned alot about spinal cord injuries in my case but it was to their advantage not to say anything that would have stopped the seemingly never ending disaster.

Josh

As far as I'm concerned, all spinal cord injuries are severe.

[10thFO]

I'd be happy if they'd offer the artificial disc implants. Why at the age of 36 they want to fuse 3 or 4 of my lower vertabrae together is beyond me. What's wrong with using newer technology. If it doesn't work then I can always do the fusion later.