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Nose Cells to Cure Spinal Injuries?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the nothing-to-sneeze-at dept.

dptalia writes "The Guardian has an article on how nose cells may cure spinal injuries. This technique has worked with rats, restoring feeling and movement to limbs damaged by severed nerves. The initial trial will be on people who have lost control of an arm due to the nerves being pulled from the spinal cord." From the article: "If successful, with refinement and research the procedure could be tried on people in a wheelchair. It also has the potential to heal other nerve injuries, such as those caused by stroke, blindness and deafness."

4 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Funny comments, but my question is this by CodeShark · · Score: 4, Insightful

    --as me dons the flame retardant pajamas output--

    If scientists can find enough of the body's own "self repairing tissue" areas, (plus the stem cells available from umbilical cords, etc.) wouldn't it obviate the need for embryonic stem cell research with all of it's accompanying moral and ethical controversies?

    What do the /.'ers think?

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    ...Open Source isn't the only answer -- but it's almost always a better value than the alternatives...
    1. Re:Funny comments, but my question is this by xtal · · Score: 4, Insightful


      wouldn't it obviate the need for embryonic stem cell research with all of it's accompanying moral and ethical controversies?


      More interesting will be what will happen when China, Russia and other countries who are advancing stem cell research develop cures and better treatments than are available in North America. How many people would change their tune, if, for example, a cure for prostate cancer or heart disease came out of such research?

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      ..don't panic
    2. Re:Funny comments, but my question is this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Labelling the opponents of embrionic stem cell research as crazy religious fanatics is an unfair method of dismissing the broader group of people who have a serious moral issue with killing unborn children. Maybe you're happy to regard embryos as pre-human, but not everyone can satisfy their consciences that way, religious or no.

      Progress with adult stem cell research looks so promising and has actually produced much better results than embrionic stem cell research to date (this article is but one example). This somewhat weakens the argument for the necessity of continuing to pursue embryonic stem cell research. Perhaps that's why we don't hear about it much?

  2. Re:One's own parts are the best... by Jotii · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Also, this technique greatly simplifies transplanting of cells. The most common problems, such as incompatibility or contaminated body parts, disappear.

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