Scientists Use Stem Cells To Enable A Paralyzed Rat To Walk Again

This rat, once paralysed with a completely severed spinal cord, had weeks earlier undergone pioneering surgery, as part of research headed by Technion and Tel Aviv University. Professor Shulamit Levenberg's team, together with Professor Daniel Offen's researchers from Tel Aviv University, used stem cells from an adult human's mouth and placed them on a sponge-like, biodegradable scaffold, which was transplanted into the site of the rat's spinal cord injury. This effectively created a pathway circumventing the injured area so that instructions from the brain could reach the rest of the body. In the future, she hopes this treatment could be part of every operating room's basic equipment, allowing doctors to treat spinal injuries as soon as possible. ----------------------------------------­­­­---------- Business Insider UK is the largest business news site for British readers and viewers in the UK. Our mission: to tell you all you need to know about the big world around you. The BI UK Video team focuses on business, technology, strategy, and culture with an emphasis on unique storytelling and data that appeals to the next generation of leaders.