Tuesday, July 12, 2005
The death of Christopher Reeve last Sunday has brought the controversial area of spinal cord research into the public spotlight. Known by many for his role as Superman in the 1978 film, Reeve was paralysed from the neck down in a horse riding accident in 1995. He had always hoped that one day stem cell research would lead to a treatment for the injuries to his spinal cord and allow him to walk again. Stem cell research has the potential to revolutionise many areas of modern medicine. If we can find a way to replace cell destroyed through spinal cord injury, diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, burns, some cancers or Parkinson's disease, we could effectively treat a number of conditions which millions of people are forced to live with every day and which, as in the case of Christopher Reeve, often result in death.
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