According to a scientific experiment, people with paralysis may be able to regain mobility and have an improvement in feeling when using stem cells extracted from body fat. The potential advantages of stem cells and regenerative medicine have been clarified by a short experiment conducted at the nonprofit American academic medical facility, Mayo Clinic. A patient who had an accident and was paralysed from the neck down was able to walk once more because of stem cell treatment.
In a news release, Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon and research first author Mohamad Bydon, MD, stated, “This study documents the safety and potential benefit of stem cells and regenerative medicine.” “In spinal cord injury, even a mild improvement can make a significant difference in that patient’s quality of life,” he stated.
Ten participants had their thigh or abdomen’s stem cells extracted for the phase 1 trial. Over the course of the next few weeks, millions of fresh mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were cultured in the laboratory. The lumbar spines of each patient were then given injections of these cells.
These cells were seen to move to the damaged area of the spine and aid in healing. For the following two to three years, the patients’ reactions to the injection were monitored.
Seven out of the ten patients had improvements in feeling and mobility, according to the findings, which were published in the journal Nature Communications. Patients showed improved responses to mild touches and stronger muscles.
The patient Chris Barr showed the most encouraging outcomes. The California guy had an accident in 2017 that left him paraplegic. Barr resumed walking eighteen months after the stem cell infusion.
“I never imagined I would have a recovery like this,” ABC News cited Barr as saying. “I am able to feed myself. I am able to move about. I am capable of carrying out daily tasks on my own,” he continued. Scientists reported no negative side effects from the treatment.
-Raja Aditya