US begins trial of human embryonic stem cells

Washington: US doctors have begun treating the first patient with embryonic stem cells as part of the first human study of the controversial treatment authorised by the government, the Geron Corporation said on Monday.
    
The patient was enrolled at a spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, where Geron began clinical trials to assess the safety and tolerability of their GRNOPC1 human embryonic stem cells in treating spinal injuries.
    
"Initiating the GRNOPC1 clinical trial is a milestone for the field of human embryonic stem cell-based therapies," said Thomas Okarma, Geron's president and CEO.