（路透華盛頓11日電）美國醫生已開始利用人類胚胎幹細胞治療1名脊髓受傷的病患，使這種富有爭議的療法首次應用在人類身上。
這名病患8日在亞特蘭大的謝爾德脊髓和腦部受傷復健中心，開始接受杰龍公司發展出來的GRNOPC1人類胚胎幹細胞治療。研究結果發現，如在脊髓受傷7天後注射GRNOPC1，能使患者的運動機能大為改善。
GRNOPC1含有寡樹突先驅細胞，能夠變成會製造髓鞘的寡樹突細胞，而神經細胞是靠著包覆其外層的髓鞘傳導訊息。身體一旦因受傷而失去這些細胞，可能陷於癱瘓。如果GRNOPC1確有效用，先驅細胞將能在脊髓受損部位製造新的寡樹突細胞，並可能讓身體恢復運動機能。
參與人體試驗的患者必須是在最近2周內受傷，並在受傷之後7天至14天內接受GRNOPC1注射。
Geron公司去年1月獲聯邦食品藥物管理局(FDA)批准，對GRNOPC1展開人體實驗。6周後，歐巴馬總統准許聯邦資助人類胚胎幹細胞研究。
Geron公司打算在美國各地接受8到10名患者進行初期試驗。這種研究將持續大約2年，每個病患接受研究1年。如證明新療法安全無虞，將展開持續更久的更大規模研究，以檢驗其效能。
Stem Cell Research Makes First Human Test
Written By Elizabeth Price on 13 October 2010.
A California company announced this week it had begun tests on an embryonic stem-cell treatment for a patient with a severely injured spinal chord, the first such treatment test on a human.
Geron said it enrolled one patient in the preliminary stage study, which will examine how safe such treatments are and how it is tolerated by the patient. To be eligible for the test, the patient must have been injured as recently as the past two weeks.
“We are pleased to have our patients participating in this exciting research,” said Dr. Donald Peck Leslie, medical director at Shepherd Center, a research center in Atlanta that treats spinal chord and brain injuries. “Our medical staff will evaluate the patients’ progress as part of this study. We look forward to participating in clinical trials that may help people with spinal cord injury.”
The announcement is considered a milestone in stem-cell technology, but the treatment has a long way to go before it will be approved for wide-spread use. If researchers make it through early tests, they will still need to conduct years of more evaluations to determine the treatments complete effectiveness.
“This clinical trial represents another step forward in Shepherd Center’s involvement in an attempt to find a cure for paralysis in people with spinal cord injury,” said Dr. David Apple, principal investigator of the trial at the Shepherd Center.
People who oppose embryonic stem cell research say it equates to an abortion, since the technology involves destroying embryos. Supporters of the field, however, say embryonic stem cells offer the best hope for medical breakthroughs.
http://www.internetbits.com/stem-cell-research-makes-first-human-test/54641/
