Umbilical cord cells ‘allow paralysed woman to walk’
‘A woman who has been paralysed for almost 20 years has started to walk again after scientists injected stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood into her spine.

The researchers claim the work – which they admit has yet to be replicated – may mark the first case in which a patient with spinal cord injuries has been successfully treated in this way.

The scientists isolated stem cells from umbilical cord blood and injected them into the spinal cord on Oct 12 this year. Two weeks after the operation, she could move her hips. After 25 days, her feet responded to stimulation and she started to walk with the help of a walking frame. “This is already a miracle for me,” she said. “I never dreamed of getting to my feet again.”‘