Due to a surfing accident that happened seven years ago, a man got paralyzed from his neck down. Now, partially thanks to novel stem cell treatment, he is able to stand up and walk independently.
Paralyzed Man Can Stand Up, Walk Again
The man, Chris Barr, was the first patient in the study conducted by Mayo Clinic. As part of the study, stem cells were taken from Barr's stomach fat. These cells were then expanded to 100 million cells in a lab. They were further injected into the lumbar spine of Barr.
More than five years after going through the stem cell therapy, Barr shares that he continues to become more independent and faster at walking. He shares that he never dreamed of such a recovery, adding that he can feed himself, walk around, and go on with daily activities independently.
He shared in 2019 that he started to see improvement quickly following the stem cell therapy. These improvements included getting the sensation back in his legs.
After five years, he describes long-term improvements, such as being able to walk at regular intervals without the need for help.
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Groundbreaking Stem Cell Therapy
Mayo Clinic released data showing stem cell treatment success in a clinical trial that covered 10 patients, including Barr. Based on the trial results, seven out of 10 patients experienced better strength in the motor groups of muscles and heightened sensation to light touch and pinpricks.
Three of the study patients did not respond to the stem cell treatment. This means that they did not get worse or better.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Mohaman Bydon, who is also a spinal cord researcher from Mayo Clinic, the lead author of the study, and the director of the Christopher Reeve Foundation, shares that their findings offer hope for the future.
The Mayo Clinic study of Bydon is a Phase 1 study that started in the year 2018. The newly released findings show that among the seven patients who exhibited progress following the treatment, each went up by at least one level on the ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) Impairment Scale, which has five levels that document the function of patients.
Dr. Bydon explains that the trial shows that stem cells are safe and could be beneficial in spinal cord injury treatment. This could be a significant milestone in neuroscience, neurosurgery, and treatment of patients who have such a kind of injury.
At present, the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved any treatment for spinal cord injury.
The researchers are still trying to learn more about why and how these stem cells interact with the spinal cord to lead in progress among patients. Further research is underway with a bigger sample to go deeper into the benefits and risks of the treatment.
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