Once-Paralyzed man given new lease on life, thanks to adult stem cells
By Dave Andrusko
Here is the latest in the many stories we’ve carried about the
remarkable improvements in patients who have been treated not with
embryonic stem cells (there have been no such improvements) but with
ethically unobjectionable adult stem cells which are obtained from bone
marrow, blood, fat tissue, umbilical cord blood, and other tissues after
birth.
Under the headline “Adult Stem Cell Treatment Gives Once-Paralyzed Man New Lease on Life,” Fox 5 in Baltimore is reporting the story of Shawn, a 42-year-old Utah man who woke up 15 years ago with transverse myelitis, an autoimmune disease that causes the nerve ending to the spinal cord to deteriorate.
Within just over a year, he was paralyzed from the chest down and told by five doctors he’d never walk again. The reporter writes as if scientists had just discovered how powerfully adult stem cells can work in humans. In fact over 60,000 people are helped worldwide every year.
The good news for Shawn is six years ago stem cells were taken from his own bone marrow and placed in the diseased areas. According to Fox 5
Asked to comment, stem cell expert Dr. David Prentice told NRL News
Today, “Besides treatments for spinal cord injury, cancers and anemias,
adult stem cells are now showing success at treating heart damage,
multiple sclerosis, juvenile diabetes, and dozens of other diseases.”
Prentice added, “And by the way, adult stem cells also have the only
reported case of successful treatment of a Parkinson’s patient
documented in the scientific literature.”
For a complete overview of the failure of embryonic stem cells and the successes of adult stem cells, see “Not with a bang, but a whimper,” and “Adult Stem Cells truly are life savers.”
Source: NRLC News
Shawn
Under the headline “Adult Stem Cell Treatment Gives Once-Paralyzed Man New Lease on Life,” Fox 5 in Baltimore is reporting the story of Shawn, a 42-year-old Utah man who woke up 15 years ago with transverse myelitis, an autoimmune disease that causes the nerve ending to the spinal cord to deteriorate.
Within just over a year, he was paralyzed from the chest down and told by five doctors he’d never walk again. The reporter writes as if scientists had just discovered how powerfully adult stem cells can work in humans. In fact over 60,000 people are helped worldwide every year.
The good news for Shawn is six years ago stem cells were taken from his own bone marrow and placed in the diseased areas. According to Fox 5
“Today he’s able to walk up to a half
mile on the treadmill – a huge achievement considering just a few years
ago the only thing he could do was wiggle his big toe a quarter of an
inch. Though he still uses a wheelchair for longer distances he now
works full time at Home Depot and has even started his own Lupus
foundation. He’s currently working on writing a book about his journey.
‘I want to thrive,’ Shawn said. ‘I want to live, I want to experience, I
want to have and enjoy my life.’”
For a complete overview of the failure of embryonic stem cells and the successes of adult stem cells, see “Not with a bang, but a whimper,” and “Adult Stem Cells truly are life savers.”
Source: NRLC News
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