United Brachial Plexus Network

Spinal-Cord Injury Victim First to Undergo Embryonic Stem-Cell Therapy


By STEVE OSUNSAMI (@SteveOsunsami) and BEN FORER
June 2, 2011

Dr. Donald Leslie, medical director at the Shepherd
Center in Atlanta, has high hopes.

"We want to cure paralysis," he said. "We want to stop
spinal cord injury. How incredible would that be?"

Leslie's mission has begun with T.J. Atchinson, the
first step in research that he believes could lead to
many steps for those who were told they would never
walk again. Atchinson, 21, was the first human with a
spinal cord injury to undergo embryonic stem cell
therapy.

The athletic college student's life took a hard turn in
September when he was home from the University of
Alabama visiting his family in Chatom and lost control
of his car. Even before he was cut loose from the
vehicle, he knew something was wrong.

"I realized I couldn't feel from about here down,"
nursing student Atchinson said, pointing to his waist.
"When I got to the hospital, they said I would never
walk again."

The accident took place on the birthday of
Christopher Reeves, the actor who had fought hard
for embryonic stem-cell therapy but never lived to
receive it. Atchinson was still accepting the news
about his situation when doctors told him he'd be a
great candidate for the therapy.

Stem cells are the building blocks of life, and they've
been used in the laboratory to repair the broken
spinal cords of small animals, who walked again.
Atchinson agreed to become test case No. 1.

Doctors opened his wound, while researchers used a
remote control to guide the needle. They injected his
spinal cord with a small dose of 2 million cells that,
they hope, will transform into new nerve cells, attach
to muscles and refire Atchinson's central nervous
system.

Although Atchinson's role was only to prove the
procedure is safe, he believes it's already working.

"I can feel that," Atchinson said, pulling the hair on
his legs.

After six months of the therapy, he said, he's able to
sense weight when he places heavy items on his lap.
It's barely there, Atchinson said, but he can sense
something.

Rubbing his leg, Atchinson said, "I can feel that,
there's something there."

His doctors are cautiously optimistic.

"It's very hard to measure sensation," Dr. Leslie said.
"But if he tells me he couldn't feel something before,
and he can now, I got to believe him. And I want this
for him more than you know."

His mother, Anita McDonald, wants this, too, saying
that people who oppose the therapy on religious
grounds are unreasonable.

"It doesn't matter how long they've been in a chair,
they all want to walk again," McDonald said. "I just
know a lot of people are against it, but until they've
been put in the position, I don't think they should
judge anybody."

Doctors will continue to measure Atchinson's
strength and test his nerves and muscles. He returns
to school in the fall, moving on with his life but still
holding out hope that his injury is healing.