Patients with spinal chord injuries are now undergoing stem cell treatment in Atlanta and Chicago through a trial run by Geron Corp., a biotech company based in Menlo Park, Calif., to test the safety of using embryonic stem cells to treat spinal chord injuries, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
Researchers have been studying the potential of embryonic stem cells as a treatment for spinal chord injuries for several years. The research team turned the stem cells into oligodendrocytes, which could allow signals to travel up and down the spine again. The treatment has been tested on rodents and is now being tested for safety on human patients.
The human trial, called Phase I trial, will enroll up to 10 patients with spinal chord injuries between the third and tenth thoracic vertebrae, injecting cells within 14 days of the injury. The trials will currently be conducted at the Shepard Center in Atlanta and Northwestern University in Chicago.
Read the Los Angeles Times report on stem cell treatment for spinal chord injury.
Read other coverage on stem cells in orthopedics:
- Olympia Medical Center Neurosurgeon Performs First Spine Surgery Using PureGen Stem Cell Technology
- Stem Cells Could Be Effective Treatment for Intervertebral Disc Diseases
- Latest Trends in Spine Surgery Techniques: Laser and Stem Cell Technology
Researchers have been studying the potential of embryonic stem cells as a treatment for spinal chord injuries for several years. The research team turned the stem cells into oligodendrocytes, which could allow signals to travel up and down the spine again. The treatment has been tested on rodents and is now being tested for safety on human patients.
The human trial, called Phase I trial, will enroll up to 10 patients with spinal chord injuries between the third and tenth thoracic vertebrae, injecting cells within 14 days of the injury. The trials will currently be conducted at the Shepard Center in Atlanta and Northwestern University in Chicago.
Read the Los Angeles Times report on stem cell treatment for spinal chord injury.
Read other coverage on stem cells in orthopedics:
- Olympia Medical Center Neurosurgeon Performs First Spine Surgery Using PureGen Stem Cell Technology
- Stem Cells Could Be Effective Treatment for Intervertebral Disc Diseases
- Latest Trends in Spine Surgery Techniques: Laser and Stem Cell Technology