The Science Behind the Law of Attraction Magazine Oct. 2016 | Page 16

First Ever Quadripl egic
Treat ed Wit h St em Cel l s
Regains Mot or Cont rol in
His Upper Body

Photo by Keck Medicine of USC
For the first time ever, neuroscientists have treated qualify for a clinical study that might help.
a total quadriplegic with stem cells, and he has
Leading the surgical team and working in
substantially recovered the functions of his upper
collaboration with Rancho Los Amigos National
body only two months into the process.
Rehabilitation Center and Keck Medicine of
The Keck Medical Center of USC announced that a USC, Charles Liu, MD, PhD, director of the USC
team of doctors became the first in California to
Neurorestoration Center, injected an
inject an experimental treatment made from stem experimental dose of 10 million AST-OPC1 cells
cells, AST-OPC1, into the damaged cervical spine of directly into Kris?cervical spinal cord in early
a recently paralyzed 21-year-old man as part of a
April.
multi-center clinical trial.
?Typically, spinal cord injury patients undergo
On March 6, just shy of his 21st birthday, Kristopher surgery that stabilizes the spine but generally
(Kris) Boesen of Bakersfield suffered a traumatic
does very little to restore motor or sensory
injury to his cervical spine when his car fishtailed
function,? explains Liu. ?With this study, we are
on a wet road, hit a tree, and slammed into a
testing a procedure that may improve
telephone pole.
neurological function, which could mean the
Parents Rodney and Annette Boesen were warned difference between being permanently
paralyzed and being able to use one?s arms and
there was a good chance their son would be
hands. Restoring that level of function could
permanently paralyzed from the neck down.
However, they also learned that Kris could possibly significantly improve the daily lives of patients
Page 16 - Oct ober, 2016