Japan trial to treat spinal injuries with stem cells

TOKYO : Japanese researchers will carry out a trial using stem cells to treat debilitating spinal cord injuries at Tokyo’s Keio University. They have received government approval for a trial using so-called induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells which have the potential to develop into any cell in the body. The trial, expected to begin later this year. The team will transplant two million iPS cells into the spines of patients, who will then be rehabilitated and monitored for a year.