Jonathan Glass, MD, and Nicholas Boulis, MD, of Emory University in Atlanta, recently performed the first FDA-approved stem cell injection into a patient's cervical spine for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a CNN report.
The operation took four hours and included five injections to the cervical spine, with each injection including more than 100,000 stem cells. The injections were prepared by biotech company Neuralstem. The cells are extracted from the spinal cord of a fetus, which means they had begun the process of becoming nerve cells, according to the report.
Researchers hope the stem cell injections will eventually repair the connection between the brain and muscles damaged by ALS.
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Researchers hope the stem cell injections will eventually repair the connection between the brain and muscles damaged by ALS.
Related Articles on Spine Surgery:
Geron Stops Embryonic Stem Cell Trial for Spinal Cord Injury
Building a Foundation for Scoliosis Treatment: 3 Important Studies
Cost-Effective Spine Surgery: 8 Things to Know