Christopher Reeve as Superman

Only a couple of days before his death University College London put out a press release that they were set to commence clinical trials within three years on a technique that could ultimately lead to the repair of spinal cord injuries. And given his self belief and campaigning through his own 'Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation', which itself funded research into treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury. It seems certain that Reeve's name would have been at the head of the list to take part. Sadly though it wasn't to be, but at least Reeve's family and friends can take heart that his spotlighting of the issues has greatly assisted in getting funding for projects such as this that literally give hope to hundred of thousands. Spinal cord injury affects an estimated 40,000 people in the UK, and about 250,000 people in the United States.

Credit Niels Geijsen, Massachusetts General Hospital/National Science Foundation Mouse embryonic stem cells stained with a fluorescent green marker

At the heart of the new technique is the UCL teams demonstration in rats that it is possible for severed spinal cord nerve fibres to grow back and restore lost functions. In practice they say this could mean:

"that spinal cord patients will eventually be able to regain much of the ability to move that they have lost. For paraplegic patients this could lead to a return of sensation and movement to some leg muscles, potentially allowing them to stand and making movement easier, while tetraplegics (patients with spinal injury high in the neck region), could recover touch sensation and movement of the hands, and regain the ability to dress, feed and clean independently."