The patient was partially paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident in September, and received the injection of a drug made by Geron at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. The injection was part of a clinical trial to study the effects of embryonic stem cell therapy. The primary trial assesses safety and whether the cells can restore sensation and movement.
The patient will continue to visit the Shepherd Center for follow-up visits, but will not disclose his progress. The injection contains about 2 million cells which were harvested from days-old embryos left over from fertility treatments. Testing of the drug in rats showed that partially paralyzed rats were able to regain motion.
Read the report form The Washington National Post about stem cell injections into the spine.
Read other coverage on spinal interventions:
– Texas Spine Surgeon Performs Stem Cell Transplantation for Disc Degeneration
– Geron’s Stem Cell Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury Trials Begin
– Latest Trends in Spine Surgery Techniques: Laser and Stem Cell Technology
