Tests Show Promise in Treating Paralysis
From Times Wire Reports
Scientists eased the paralysis of rats with spinal cord injuries by transplanting cells from adult mouse brains, an encouraging sign for developing human treatments, researchers reported.
The paralyzed rats were given the mouse cells, called neural precursor cells, two or eight weeks after their injuries, according to the study in Wednesday’s issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. Although the animals didn’t start walking normally, those treated at two weeks gained coordination and the ability to bear weight. Those treated eight weeks later weren’t helped, said Dr. Michael G. Fehlings of the University of Toronto and the Toronto Western Research Institute.
