Source: Associated Press via Yahoo! News
Posted: June 20, 2006; 1:49 PM ET
Summary:
Scientists have used stem cells and a soup of nerve-friendly chemicals to not just bridge a damaged spinal cord but actually regrow the circuitry needed to move a muscle, helping partially paralyzed rats walk.
Years of additional research is needed before such an experiment could be attempted in people.
The work marks a tantalizing new step in stem cell research that promises to one day help repair damage from nerve-destroying illnesses such as Lou Gehrig's disease, or from spinal cord injuries.
Commentary: Hopefully this finding can eventually be translated into effective treatments for spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders in humans.
No comments:
Post a Comment