Awesome or Off-Putting is a weekly delve into cryptozoology, ufology, medical marvels, scientific wonders, secret societies, government conspiracies, cults, ghosts, myths, religion, strange facts or just plain weird, weird goings-on.

This week: Medical Marvels

Paralysis may soon meet its end. Science is on a healing crux that may be able to wipe it out of existence. Recently, you see, there have been paralysed rats, which in lab tests have had partial mobility restored. Isn't science something?

Science has recently restored some movement in 11 out of 15 paralysed rats. How'd they do it? Stem cells of course. And a mix of other chemicals. Clearly, this gives mountains of hope to all those who've lost mobility due to spinal cord injury.  

Stem cells are nothing short of a miracle, as they have the ability to change into about any type of cells you need them to. They are mired in controversy, however, as the primary place we currently cull from is the human embryo. This equates to the destruction of something that would become a human if allowed to fully develop, in the name of using their cells to heals those in need.  

In the case of healing paralysis, the stem cells (and their accompanying cocktail) have the ability to bridge the gap in a broken spinal cord. Bridging this gap restores full mobility to the patient – as it did to rats in very recent tests. Dr. Douglas Kerr, a neurologist at John Hopkins said:

"This is an important first step, but it really is a first step, a proof of principle that you can rewire part of the nervous system."

Paralysis isn't all the stem cells could cure – as you might suspect. Blindness, deafness and failing organs are all part of the list of things that could fix up. It's important to note, though, that the healing process here is far more than a matter of simple injections. On the contrary, it's a very complicated procedure. A series of intricate steps have to take place in order for the end result to be a healed individual.  

What we have here are signs of incredible scientific progress. One day the world may have a stem cell treatment for everything from paralysis or kidney failure to strokes and amputation. Human trials, it should be noted, are still years off – the tests will next be on pigs. Hefty wait or not, the news here is a very bright light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

Read more:

Stem Cell Mix Helps Paralyzed Rats Walk – MIT Technology Review

[story by Shawn Lindseth]