A two-level improvement can mean a patient is able to live more independently.The cells are injected by a neurosurgeon directly into the site of the spinal cord damage within two to four weeks of injury, before scar tissue forms. The hope is that they can help restore signals from the brain through the spinal cord to the outer extremities.Stem cells are able to transform into various other types of cells in the body, and scientists have been working for years to try to harness their unique capabilities to combat various medical conditions, including paralysis and heart failure. "I am very encouraged by this first look at efficacy data incomplete cervical spinal cord patients," Dr. Shekar Kurpad, a trial researcher and director of the Spinal Cord Injury Centre at the Medical College of Wisconsin, said in a statement.The company had not expected to reach the efficacy goal before six to 12 months after implantation of the 10 million embryonic stem cells dubbed AST-OPC1, Asterias Chief Executive Stephen Cartt said. "We came out early with the data because it was so compelling. "It’s certainly our hope that we see at least that these gains are maintained, and we hope to see continuing improvement," Cartt said.- Reuters

Source: The Nation Bangkok September 14, 2016 10:30 UTC