At 03:14 PM 11/29/2004, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
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.
