A man crippled by ALS is able to walk unaided again. A woman speeding toward blindness gets a chance to recover her sight. Decades after stem cells were first hyped as the fix for all our ailments, trials in people are finally showing promise. But it’s the results in animals that herald the exciting things to come. The human goal: End blindnessThe animal milestone: Pigs get new retinas.Transplanted stem cells successfully merged with pigs’ retinal cells, suggesting that we someday may succeed in curing blindness caused by damaged retinas.Even better news: In September, a woman in Japan with macular degeneration was given the first human retinal stem-cell transplant. She reported brighter sight after the procedure. MORE: 5 Solutions For Your 40+ Eyes The human goal: Restore hearing for the deafThe animal milestone: Gerbils are cured of deafness.UK researchers used stem cells to repair the broken connection between the gerbils’ ears and central nervous systems. While not all the animals could hear perfectly post-treatment—their collective hearing was 46% better than before—the news is considered promising for the hundreds of millions who suffer from a degree of hearing loss. What About Animal Rights? Yes, the creatures used in these successful experiments were harmed. Write to us at suggestions@prevention.com about whether you think stem-cell studies on animals should be stopped. Photo by Robert MacInness The human goal: Reverse neurological damageThe animal milestone: Sheep stroke victims regain balance.Investigators in Germany injected a stem-cell cocktail into sheep that had suffered strokes. Follow-up tests showed that the cells had taken up residence in the sheep’s brains—and the wobbly animals regained their balance.Even better news: After two stem-cell injections into his spine, a patient with ALS—the crippling disease also called Lou Gehrig’s—could once again walk without using canes. (Try this 20-second DIY test to determine your stroke risk.) The human goal: Fix heart diseaseThe animal milestone: Damaged pig hearts get a refresh.Scientists in San Francisco injected five cell-regenerating genes directly into the scarred hearts of pigs that had had heart attacks. A few months later, the scar cells were turning into new muscle. MORE: 7 Weird Ways You’re Increasing Your Risk Of Heart Disease One Controversy Averted. Stem cells can now be made from adult skin cells, mitigating the right-to-life debate that raged over embryonic stem cells. Photo by Robert MacInnis The human goal: End painThe animal milestone: Sheep’s lumbar disks are rejuvenated.When Australian researchers injected sheep’s degenerated lumbar disks with stem cells, the disks regained most of their original height.Even better news: The same scientists conducted a similar human trial, looking at 100 people with degenerated lumbar disks. In early results, more than 70% of patients reported feeling less back pain. MORE: We Paid A Writer To Find Out How She’s Going To Die. And She Feels Pretty Good About It.
