The transplant is the first of its kind in which a therapeutic effect of human iPS cells--which can be transformed into various types of cells--has been confirmed. The results of the study are expected to pave the way for a treatment for people with spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries often cause motor function loss in victims. It is generally accepted that motor function in the legs and other body parts cannot be recovered once the central nerve in the spinal cord has been cut. Scientists had previously succeeded in treating spinal cord damage in mice using iPS cells from mice. Transplants of human iPS cells often caused adverse reactions in mice and did not improve their condition.

(Source: YOMIURI ONLINE)     // FULL ARTICLE