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Stem Cell Therapy Reportedly Reverses Paralysis

The Korea Times reported that Korean researchers, using stem cells isolated from umbilical cord blood, succeeded in reversing the paralysis of the lower limbs caused by a spinal cord injury suffered by a 37 year-old female in 1985. Note that the therapy did not involve the use of embryonic stems cells or the destruction of a human life. In addition, the use of cord stem cells have little chance of causing "fatal teratoma". One researcher stated, "Embryonic stem cells are omni-potent in that they can divide into any thing even including a tumor cell. But cord blood stem cells are developed enough not to cause such troubles while retaining as powerful a differentiation capacity at the same time."

I continue to marvel at the fixation on embryonic stem cell research, which has known problems, when umbilical cord and adult stem cell therapies have already been demonstrated to have great application and significant potential without the destruction of a human life.

Here is a portion of the article:

A team of Korean researchers claimed Thursday they had performed a miracle by enabling a patient, who could not even stand up for the last 19 years, to walk with stem cell therapy.

During a press conference, the scientists said they had last month transplanted multi-potent stem cells from umbilical cord blood to the 37-year-old female patient suffering from a spinal cord injury and she can now walk on her own.

The team was co-headed by Chosun University professor Song Chang-hun, Seoul National University professor Kang Kyung-sun and Han Hoon, Ph.D, from the Seoul Cord Blood Bank (SCB).

"The stem cell transplantation was performed on Oct. 12 this year and in just three weeks she started to walk with the help of a walker," Song said.

The patient’s lower limbs were paralyzed after an accident in 1985 damaged her lower back and hips. Afterward she spent her life in bed or in a wheelchair.

For the unprecedented clinical test, the scientists isolated stem cells from umbilical cord blood and then injected them into the damaged part of the spinal cord.

The sensory and motor nerves of the patient started to improve 15 days after the operation and she could move her hips. After 25 days, her feet responded to stimulation.

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Posted by tim at November 29, 2004 12:30 PM

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