Reeve Announces Human Spine Repair Trials During a January visit to Sydney, Australia, Superman actor Christopher Reeve announced that human trials were under way into therapeutic cloning that could help repair spinal injuries like the one that paralyzed him from the neck down 7 years ago, according to a January 24, 2003, Reuters report. Reeve was in Sydney for a spinal-injury forum, and declined to give details about the trials to reporters because, he said, scientific advances required peer review and other steps before being made public. Reeve is an active supporter of nuclear transfer or therapeutic cloning, which involves taking stem cells from embryos to repair injury or cure illness. This process has nothing to do with reproductive cloning, which can re- create an entire person. According to the Reuters report, Reeve believes reproductive cloning should be banned. Ultrasound Therapy Attracting Attention Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, have successfully tested a minimally invasive technique called ultrasound needle-guided therapy by treating muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries in 306 patients. The researchers, who presented their results at the recent Radiological Society of North America annual meeting in Chicago, reported that 65% of those treated showed improvement. The study participants had various injuries, including tennis and golfer’s elbow, jumper’s knee, hamstring and rotator cuff injuries, and Achilles tendon problems. Ultrasound is used to get a clear image of abnormal tendons, to identify areas of scar tissue on tendons, and to determine if the scar tissue is infiltrated with calcification. After the patient receives a local anesthetic, the needle is guided by ultrasound to areas with scar tissue and the tip is used to break up the tissue and any calcification. None of the study participants had responded to other therapies such as medication, bracing, or rest, and had symptoms for periods ranging from 3 months to 15 years. Report Says Leg Exercise Aids Breathing
