Ethical
stem cells from his own umbilical cord blood have helped a German child
previously in a persistent coma to walk and talk.
Following a cardiac arrest with severe brain damage, a 2.5 year old boy
had been in a persistent vegetative state -- with minimal chances of
survival. Just two months after treatment with the cord blood containing
stem cells, the symptoms improved significantly; over the following
months, the child learned to speak simple sentences and to move.....
After the cord blood therapy, the patient, however, recovered relatively
quickly. Within two months, the spasticity decreased significantly. He
was able to see, sit, smile, and to speak simple words again. Forty
months after treatment, the child was able to eat independently, walk
with assistance, and form four-word sentences. "Of course, on the basis
of these results, we cannot clearly say what the cause of the recovery
is," Jensen says. "It is, however, very difficult to explain these
remarkable effects by purely symptomatic treatment during active
rehabilitation."
