Stem Cells in Spinal Cord Injury

Yet another benefit of stem cells discovered:

Genetically engineered stem cells can help rats’ severed spinal cords grow back together, according to a study published Tuesday.

Rats given the treatment, using stem cells taken from rat embryos, could move their legs again after their spines were severed in the lab, said the researchers’ report in the Journal of Neuroscience.

This may have important benefits for humans:

“These findings suggest the possibility that transplantation therapy using a subset of neural stem cells and neurotrophic factors might improve functional recovery in human spinal cord injury,” said Dr. Michael Selzer, a professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia.

As Bill Clinton has pointed out, in this case supporting stem cell research is the pro-life position.