Introduction

Geron stem cell trial for spinal cord injury reincarnated using bigger stem cell doses

Geron stem cell trial for spinal cord injury reincarnated using bigger stem cell doses

Asterias Biotherapeutics, is being awarded $14.3 million by CIRM to test oligodendrocyte progenitor cells or OPCs in SCI

OPCs have two important functions in the body; they help stimulate the growth of nerve cells after an injury, and they produce myelin, a kind of insulation that conducts electrical signals in the spine. It’s hoped that transplanting OPCs to the site of a spinal cord injury could help restore some function to the patient. These cells were tested in a first-in-human trial in 2010 under Geron with a simple goal of assessing the safety of this approach. Five patients with lower spinal cord injury were transplanted with no signs of serious side effects or safety concerns.

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