Jan 23, 2009 7:00 pm US/Central
First Ever Human Embryonic Stem Cell Study OK'd
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
In a major medical breakthrough, the U.S. government has given the go-ahead for the first study ever using embryonic stem cells, reports KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.
Experts say the approval is a milestone and offers hope to people, who suffer from spinal cord injuries, as well as other illnesses that could be helped by stem cell therapy.
Stem-cell research is about to take a giant step forward with the world's first human study using embryonic stem cells.
"So far everything has been kept in the culture dish or in animal models, so now we're finally taking it to patients who actually have clinical problems," Dr. Neil Theise of Beth Israel Medical Center said.
A biotech firm in Northern California has gotten FDA approval to test a treatment for spinal cord injuries. Eight to 10 patients, who have lost the use of their legs, will be injected with stem cells from embryos. The cells can theoretically develop into any cell of the body -- and scientists have long hoped to harness them to treat spinal cord injuries, as well as other illnesses.
"Diabetes, hepatitis, heart disease, strokes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, vascular disease, kidney disease, you name it," Dr. Theise said.
President Barack Obama is a supporter of stem cell research, but the new administration had nothing to do with the FDA's approval of this new study.
Researchers will be looking for signs of improvement in the patients, but they say the main focus is to see if the procedure is safe.
"The major concern people have is that if you take an embryonic stem cell and transplant it into an animal; they tend to make tumors and often malignant tumors," Dr. Theise said.
A spokesman for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation issued this statement today.
"There has been so much speculative and unsubstantiated information about the use of stem cells in spinal cord injury; it's important to study these cells in a rigorously designed clinical trial that is monitored by the FDA."
Scientists say they'll have some results in six months, but even if it is successful, embryonic stem cell treatment is still years away.
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