Source: Time
Posted: June 20, 2006
Summmary:
Scientists at Johns Hokins took embryonic stem cells from mice, coaxed them to grow into motor neurons--the nerve cells that transmit movement signals to muscles--and implanted them in the spinal cords of rats who had been paralyzed. The result: after six months, 11 out of 15 rats had regained some use of their previously useless legs.
This isn't actually the first time stem cells have been used to treat paralyzed rats; in the earlier experiments, though, they were used to repair existing nerve cells. This time, they literally created new ones, and got them to grow toward and attach to muscles--a major step forward.
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