Recently 38 spinal cord injury patients were treated at Luis Vernaza Hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador with bone marrow stem cells taken from the patients’ own hip bones (HT: JivinJehoshaphat):

Of the 25 patients who provided more than three months and up to 14 months follow up: 15 gained the ability to stand up, 10 could walk on the parallels with braces, seven could walk without braces and five could walk with crutches. Three patients recovered full bladder control, and 10 patients regained some form of sexual function. No adverse events or abnormal reactions to implantation were observed.

This isn’t the first time stem cells have been used to treat spinal cord injury. In May I posted on a woman who received stem cell transplants from her own blood. Before the treatments she had absolutely no feeling or movement whatsoever in the lower limbs. Now she reports that, “Every other week, something is getting stronger or I’m feeling something different, or a little bit more.”

The most famous study came out of Portugal a few years ago when Dr. Carlos Lima treated patients with stem cells right from their own noses. After this treatment every one of the seven patients showed improved ASIA motor scores, among other improvements. Here is one patient’s testimony: Jacki Rabon

If we would focus our time and energy on promoting and perfecting research using these non-embryonic stem cells already treating patients they will be our best hope for even greater cures and treatments than these in the future.