Posted on 03/09/2005 1:09:16 PM PST by Coleus
Very soon, perhaps in a few days or weeks, someone in the United States will injure his or her spinal cord and become paralyzed. They may crash their car, slip on ice or fall at a job site.
UMDNJ is one of three sites nationally that is testing specially treated immune cells -- called macrophages -- that are injected into the spinal cord. The treatment may not help patients walk, but they may be able to regain sensations or recover some movement.
Proponents want to open new avenues of research, and counter thinking that the spinal cord can never be repaired.
"This is the first real, approved effort in humans," said Robert F. Heary, the neurosurgeon who will perform the intricate procedure. He is an associate professor at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. "Other treatments have only been done on animals."
Anything that regenerates the spinal cord would be heralded since little now can help the more than 11,000 Americans who suffer the injuries each year.
Criteria for the study are strict: Patients must have been injured within 10 or 11 days; have a complete spinal cord injury, which means no feeling below the site of the injury, and be otherwise healthy.
As Heary waits for a patient, he spreads the word to trauma centers nationwide. Patients who meet the criteria will be transferred to University Hospital or Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, or a third site in Denver.
The study is the second round of patient experiments with macrophages. Macrophages have been likened to little fire engines, rushing to the scene of injury, cleaning up debris, and then secreting chemicals that aid in healing and regeneration. Macrophages work well through most of the body, but not in the spinal cord.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
No. Very soon, perhaps in the next few minutes or hours, someone in the United States will injure his or her spinal cord and become paralyzed.
Killing babies only hurts humanity and the baby and doesn't help anyone. So far, Adult stems cells have proven effective, safe and ethical.
sw
Thanks for the ping.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
.........here's to a stem cell cure for juvenile diabetes. Hopefully it will be soon.
I think umbilical cord (Wharton's Jelly) stem cells have shown the most promise thus far, haven't they?
Some info and links to more info here:
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/b/a/2005_02_12.htm
Coleus,Bump.
Is this story a MSM push for embryonic research? I can't tell from the read?
No, actually it's one of the good ones. These cells are taken from the patients own body.
But the last section of the story is a little political, they will use Dana Reeve to speak at a paralysis rally in DC to push congress to spend more money on spinal cord research. I have a feeling that macrophage research will not be mentioned and embryonic stem cell research will.
"The macrophage treatment, developed by Proneuron Biologies Inc., an Israeli company, takes macrophages removed from skin and blood in the patient's own upper arm"
Quoted from the story. This is a treatment that has nothing to do with embryonic stem cell research. At least it appears that way to me unless I am missing something.
This is a treatment that has nothing to do with embryonic stem cell research. >>
You're right. Just another reason why we do NOT need to kill babies for their body parts to help spinal victims, I wish someone would tell Dana Reeve.
something good coming out of umdnj
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.