干细胞贴片可在子宫内治疗脊柱裂

For the first time, doctors have used stem cells to try to repair the spinal cords of human fetuses in the womb. The new technique attempts to heal nerve damage caused by spina bifida, a disabling birth defect. In this condition, the bony tissue of a fetus’s spine doesn’t knit together properly around the spinal cord. That can cause a kaleidoscope of medical issues, including lifelong paralysis. Traditional fetal surgery to patch up the spine can limit the scope of these problems — but it does not re- pair nerve damage that has already occurred. Adding living stem cells to the procedure might. At least, that’s the goal of fetal surgeon Diana Farmer’s team. …