First human stem cell clinical trial commences

A landmark study is commencing in the US which represents the world's first official clinical trial of a stem cell therapy among human patients.

Biopharmaceutical company Geron has enrolled its first patient for the groundbreaking GRNOPC1 phase I study, which aims to evaluate the efficacy of human embryonic stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in treating severe spinal injuries.

The study has received the backing of the US Food and Drug Administration and is hoped to represent another step in the ongoing efforts to cure paralysis among those with damaged spinal cords.

Dr Thomas Okarma, Geron's president and chief executive officer, said it had previously been thought that it could take decades for human trials of a cell therapy would be approved.

He added: "Initiating the GRNOPC1 clinical trial is a milestone for the field of human embryonic stem cell-based therapies."

Chris Mason, professor of regenerative medicine at University College London, has hailed the commencement of the trial as the "dawn of the stem cell age".