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Stem Cell Spinal Treatment

Stem cells are the cells from which all other cells in the body are created. Embryonic stem cells are particularly versatile, as they are pluripotent. This means they are able to transform into any other cell type, including another stem cell. Stem cells are currently being studied as a potential treatment for spinal injury and for degenerative diseases involving cell death or dysfunction.

  1. Conditions

    • There are many disorders that result in spinal cord injury and stem cell treatments are being considered for all of them. These disorders include: muscular dystrophies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease and traumatic injury.

    Spinal Stem Cells

    • The healthy adult spinal cord already contains a supply of stem cells. They are somewhat scarce and multiply slowly but, according to researchers at MIT, they play a key role in repairing minor spinal cord damage. Researchers hope that by understanding this in-born mechanism of spinal cord repair, stem cell therapies can be developed for more extensive repairs of severely damaged spinal cords.

    Trials in Rats

    • In 2005, researchers at Irvine University used human embryonic stem cells to treat the injured spinal cords of rats. Their results provided the first clinical evidence of the efficacy of this type of treatment in mammals. The treatment only worked, however, in rats with recent injuries. In rats with older injuries, scar tissue prevented the regeneration of the nerve cells necessary for recovery.

    The First Human Trial

    • January of 2010 saw the first human embryonic stem cell trial. According to CNN, doctors injected embryonic stem cells into the spinal cord of a man in his 60s with ALS, a degenerative nerve disease. The transplant was a success and patients suffering from ALS await the results.

    The Politics of Embryonic Stem Cells

    • Embryonic stem cells come from fertilized human eggs. Scientists fertilize eggs in a lab and never implant them in a human woman's uterus but many people still feel the ethical implications of this procedure are unacceptable. Under President George W. Bush, embryonic stem cell research was severely limited and human trials were banned. Today, under the Obama administration, hundreds of embryonic stem cell studies are currently underway, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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