A patient who suffered spinal cord injury and is paralyzed from the waist down has joined the clinical trial for Geron's embryonic stem cell injection for restoring function to patients with spinal cord injury, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.
The patient is the fourth person to enroll in the study and received the treatment at Sanata Clara Valley Medical Center last week. The injection includes two million cells that are designed to replace damaged neurons in the spine, according to the report. The injection was given by surgeons from Stanford University. For the injection, scientists from Geron and UC Irvine have turned stem cells into oligodendrocytes, which make up the myelin that surround nerve cells for communication.
In animal studies, rats have improved motor function after the embryonic stem cell injection. The current dosage of embryonic stem cells may not return the patients to function, but if no adverse events are reported the dosage could be increased during future studies. The study is funded in part by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
The patient is now undergoing rehabilitation and will be monitored over the next few years for possible side effects or adverse events as a result of the treatment. The first three patients who enrolled in the trial over the past year have not experienced any adverse events yet.
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In animal studies, rats have improved motor function after the embryonic stem cell injection. The current dosage of embryonic stem cells may not return the patients to function, but if no adverse events are reported the dosage could be increased during future studies. The study is funded in part by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
The patient is now undergoing rehabilitation and will be monitored over the next few years for possible side effects or adverse events as a result of the treatment. The first three patients who enrolled in the trial over the past year have not experienced any adverse events yet.
Related Articles on Spinal Cord Injury:
Restoring Function After Spinal Cord Injury With Nerve Transplant: The New Frontier
10 Spine Surgeons Focusing on Spinal Cord Injury
Cleveland Clinic Receives $1M Spinal Cord Research Grant