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Stem cells help paralysed woman walk
November 29, 2004
URL: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/28/1101577355824.html
The online edition of The Sydney Morning Herald brings you updated local and world news, sports results, entertainment news and reviews and the latest technology information.
Seoul: A South Korean woman paralysed for 20 years is walking again after scientists say they repaired her damaged spine using stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood.
Hwang Mi-soon, 37, had been bedridden since damaging her back in an accident. Last week she walked again with the help of a walking frame at a press conference where South Korea researchers announced the results of their stem cell therapy.
They said it was the world's first published case in which a patient with spinal cord injuries had been successfully treated with stem cells from umbilical cord blood.
Although they cautioned that more research was needed and verification from international experts was required, the South Korean researchers said Ms Hwang's case could signal a leap forward in the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
The use of stem cells from cord blood could also point to a way to sidestep the ethical dispute over the controversial use of embryos in embryonic stem cell research.
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Advertisement"We have glimpsed at a silver lining over the horizon," said Song Chang-hoon, a member of the research team and a professor at Chosun University's medical school in the south-western city of Kwangju. "We were all surprised at the fast improvements in the patient."
Under TV lights and flashing cameras, Ms Hwang stood up from her wheelchair and shuffled forward and back a few paces with the help of the frame.
"This is already a miracle for me," she said. "I never dreamed of getting to my feet again."
Research has shown stem cells can develop into replacement cells for damaged organs or body parts.
So-called "multipotent" stem cells - those found in cord blood - are capable of forming a limited number of specialised cell types, unlike the more versatile "undifferentiated" cells that are derived from embryos.
However, these stem cells isolated from umbilical cord blood have emerged as an ethical and safe alternative to embryonic stem cells.
Agence France-Presse
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