Eight to 10 recent paraplegics will receive injections injection of neurons to the site of the damage, with a short treatment of anti-rejection drugs afterwards. Federal regulations under the Bush administration have hampered Stem Cell R and D for years. Geron is working anti-cancer drugs and a cancer vaccine as well.
There are videos at the Geron website that explain some of the processes. Would be great if success is attained the the individuals involved were able to regain use of their legs once more even though it states the test is for safety reasons, but a nice side effect with restoring nerve connections here would not be denounced by anyone. In the related reading below I have included many earlier posts about stem cells that cover everything from growing a prostate gland to growing bladders with stem cells, and yes there are people walking around with bladders created with stem cells.
A heart valve was even created with the use of stem cells. See the posts below. This can also stand to be a big boost for California at a time when not only the research, but perhaps some revenue could be attained at the same time.
Additional information can be read at the Geron website. Clean rooms are used for the creation and working with Stem Cells as well as very elaborate software systems to ensure the stem cells will respond as intended. BD
The stem cells are kept frozen and shipped in containers to locations involved in the clinical trial.
The Federal Drug Administration has approved the first human trials of embryonic stem cells — a sign of a new, liberal attitude toward stem cell research, which was hamstrung by the Bush administration.
Starting this summer, the biotech firm Geron will treat a small group of spinal-cord injury patients using neurons derived from stem cells, marking the first time embryonic stem cells will be tested in humans.
The trial is designed to test the safety of the treatment, not how well it works. Nonetheless, it's a huge first step for the field.
FDA OKs First Human Trials of Embryonic Stem Cells | Wired Science from Wired.com
Related Reading for Stem Cells
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