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Device Allows Paralyzed Rats To Walk, Human Trials Scheduled Next Summer
An anonymous reader writes "A new technique pioneered by scientists working on project NEUWalk at the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (EPFL) have figured out a way to reactivate the severed spinal cords of fully paralyzed rats, allowing them to walk again via remote control. Human trials are scheduled for next summer. "We have complete control of the rat's hind legs," EPFL neuroscientist Grégoire Courtine said. "The rat has no voluntary control of its limbs, but the severed spinal cord can be reactivated and stimulated to perform natural walking. We can control in real-time how the rat moves forward and how high it lifts its legs."
They severed the spinal cord of a rat? Why don't they experiment on volunteer humans who are already paralyzed? Nothing anyone says will ever convince me that animal testing is worth it for the benefit of humanity. Animals feel pain, happiness, excitement, fear, misery and can have bonding relationships too (like our pets). I'd rather die than have dozens, hundreds or thousands of animals tortured to help me live more comfortably. I go out of my way to find products that weren't tested on animals. And yes, I am a vegetarian.