Stem cell scientist Hideyuki Okano has announced promising results from a trial using reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to treat spinal cord injuries. One patient can now stand and is learning to walk again after just a single injection. This groundbreaking study involved four men paralyzed shortly after their injuries; two have shown positive movement response. While larger trials are needed, initial results suggest a viable path towards restoring mobility in paralyzed patients, addressing the plight of over 15 million people living with spinal cord injuries worldwide.
Okano noted that the medical trial used induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which basically means they are normal adult cells which have been reprogrammed to act like the embryonic stem cells found in unborn babies.
The new report in the journal Nature revealed that all four patients received an injection of two million iPS cells right into their respective injuries.
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