A Mayo Clinic study used a patient’s stem cells to help repair the spinal cord.
A man who was paralyzed from the neck down after a surfing accident seven years ago is now able to stand and walk on his own, thanks in part to a potentially groundbreaking stem cell treatment.
Chris Barr was the very first patient in a Mayo Clinic study that collected stem cells from his own stomach fat, expanded them in a laboratory to 100 million cells and then injected the cells into Barr’s lumbar spine.
Over five years after undergoing the therapy, Barr said he is continuing to gain more independence and get faster at walking.
“I never dreamed I would have a recovery like this,” Barr told ABC News’ Will Reeve. “I can feed myself. I can walk around. I can do day-to-day independent activities.”
I wonder how much that cost him.
It’s an experimental treatment so it may have been free, since he’s the guinea pig
A trip to Kamar-Taj and a spiritual awakening.
An arm and a leg. Makes walking more difficult, but given that he couldn’t walk at all before this…
One zillion dollars
Bout tree fiddy
I still remember when this research was in its infancy and religious folks were doing everything under the sun to stop it because it was playing God. Glad the research was never stopped but I feel like we would have been further ahead on the research if it wasn’t for religious zealots
I may have missed it, but I thought the religious objection was due to the use of embryonic stems cells. These are adult stem cells coming from the patient himself.
Right, but we have to start somewhere
first thing that came to mind. crazy how old that clip is and the “controversy” around the research. that is until reagan needed it.
This is amazing! I hope the research keeps going.
