Effect on stem cell ruling on companies unclear

(Reuters) – Government officials say they will appeal a U.S. District Court injunction that stops new federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research.

The ruling has no direct effect on researchers or companies working with private funds, but government funding often kick-starts the most basic, and risky biological work.

Scientists are working to use them to repair severed spinal cords, regenerate brain cells lost in Parkinson’s disease and restore the tissue destroyed by juvenile diabetes. Continue Reading »

Stem cell reversal: Ill Americans deserve better

District court judge blocks federal funding for embryonic stem cell research

Just when you thought embryonic stem cell research would begin to show whether regenerating damaged cells would allow spinal cord injury victims to walk again or help repair damaged hearts, a federal district court judge has ordered it to stop. Continue Reading »

Court Blocks New Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Obama administration Monday from using federal dollars to fund expanded human embryonic stem cell research, saying the research involves the destruction of embryos.

The ruling comes after the National Institutes of Health last year issued new guidelines permitting federal funding for research on certain stem cell lines that had already been created. Continue Reading »

Parking Mobility

Parking Mobility was born from the need to ensure accessible parking for people with disabilities. While there are many disabled parking spots assigned close to shopping locations they are not always available or easy to find in other areas. These parking spots are also often used by people who do not have a disability placard. It seemed to us that there were some technology tools that we could use to engage with the community to help address these issues. Continue Reading »

Proposal to Extend Spinal Cord Research Funding Introduced

The Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 2005 was created to fund spinal cord injury research at the University of California and is currently up for renewal.

Spinal cord injuries are among the most debilitating, often rendering sufferers immobile or without the use of their extremities. The Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 2005 was created to fund spinal cord injury research at the University of California and is currently up for renewal. Continue Reading »

With U.S. stem cell treatments limited, patients try other countries

Disillusioned by U.S. doctors who could not help their daughter with cerebral palsy, Kara Anderson’s parents did something they could not have imagined a few years ago: They took her to China.

Specialists in the Chicago area, where the family lives, said that Kara’s brain injury was permanent and that the 9-year-old would probably end up in a wheelchair because of severe twisting in her leg muscles. But then her parents heard stories about children who had improved after receiving injections of stem cells.

The treatment was not available in the United States. It was only commercially available abroad. Continue Reading »

Red light law may give cities a way to raise money

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist may have given the state and local municipalities a way to raise more money. This may allow them to avoid layoffs and perhaps even hire more people. And many governments in Florida are facing major budget shortfalls. Continue Reading »

Larger State Grant For Spinal Cord Researchers

COLUMBIA – The Missouri House approved a bill that will give spinal cord researchers more money to conduct research.

This fund was initially set up to give spinal cord researchers $50,000 for grants.

“When you’re dealing with a spinal cord injury, especially with clinical research, $50,000 wasn’t enough to attract folks that were interested in the grant so $250,000 will,” Senator Bill Stouffer, 21st District, said. Continue Reading »

Injury led to Kentucky research fund

A tragic car accident helped turn Kentucky into a national hub for spinal cord research.

In 1993, state Sen. Tim Shaughnessy’s niece, Maggie Brooks, was paralyzed from the shoulders down when the speeding car she was riding in crashed. Continue Reading »

Sit-Ski Success

From school project to the Paralympics

A sit-ski that started as an extracurricular project for some University of Calgary students will be on display at the Paralympics in Whistler, B.C., this week and may soon make skiing more accessible for disabled people.

The germ of the idea for this innovative new sit-ski came from a lift line conversation in 2006, remembers James Chew. Then an industrial design student working on his master’s degree at the University of Calgary, Chew was introduced to some members of the Calgary chapter of the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing that his friend Derek Gratz had met in a lift line at Canada Olympic Park. Continue Reading »