It just shows how complex the brain is - if it doesn't send the right signals everything stops

Sal, the brain is still sending the right signals, damage to the spinal cord does not affect the brain. The problem is that the signals cannot pass the point of injury on the cord and therefore the body cannot function correctly.

Fair point - I suppose I was thinking about sending signals to the brain to get it to react. Thank you for the correction

Over twelve months on from this remarkable breakthrough and can anybody truthfully say they've heard anything else on the matter ? I certainly haven't because i search frequently on matters like this being a MND sufferer.

See this is the problem, when breakthroughs like this happens it takes years to decades to become " introduced into the fraternity". I mean why aren't they throwing people who NEED this treatment on the surgeons table NOW. It's scandalous to think there's a cure out there for people with spinal ailments and diseases and yet the poor old unlucky sufferer's have got to wait forever and a day to get the treatment. It's all down to MONEY surrounded by a mile of red tape i'd presume. The NHS can't wait to shout from the roof tops regarding " A CURE " if only they'd be that enthused about getting you on that surgeons table People like myself with a spinal disease haven't got decades to wait.

Because of course they simply can't and don't "throw people on the operating table", there's a extremely lengthy and detailed process to go through before any new treatment, drug or whatever can be approved for general use. I can easily see how frustrating that is for people who need help now, but there's a reason. Perhaps the best present hope would be for people to get accepted as guinea pigs for research. The chap concerned was on the pitch at an Arsenal match in February this year: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31085042 Quote:Prof Geoff Raisman, chair of neural regeneration at University College London - speaking before kick-off told the BBC it would take years more painstaking work before they knew whether the technique could be widely applied to help paralysed patients regain function. He said: "We do not yet have enough information to offer this procedure as a treatment. We wish to perform a small number of trials involving patients in Poland and later in the UK."

Because of course they simply can't and don't "throw people on the operating table", there's a extremely lengthy and detailed process to go through before any new treatment, drug or whatever can be approved for general use. I can easily see how frustrating that is for people who need help now, but there's a reason. Perhaps the best present hope would be for people to get accepted as guinea pigs for research. The chap concerned was on the pitch at an Arsenal match in February this year: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31085042 Quote:Prof Geoff Raisman, chair of neural regeneration at University College London - speaking before kick-off told the BBC it would take years more painstaking work before they knew whether the technique could be widely applied to help paralysed patients regain function. He said: "We do not yet have enough information to offer this procedure as a treatment. We wish to perform a small number of trials involving patients in Poland and later in the UK."

I'm not being funny but don't preach to me about "lengthy process's" I could write a book on it. They really shouldn't be shouting from the roof tops and giving sufferers false hope. Its simply saying weve got a cure for your disease but unfortunately we can't give it you yet. It bloody stinks.

I know a lot more than you about"The Process's of trials. MND trials in my experience are quite scarce with a list as long as your arm in which you get catagorized to qualify in this country. I know sufferer's like myself fundraised to travel to mainland Europe America to try new treatments to FIGHT this disease because this country's NHS system is diabolical. You here people all the time with all types of illness's flying all over the world to find treatment because this country's nhs has failed them and left them with no alternative.

I'm not saying DR's and Nurses have failed me but "The whole System has failed my experience miserably.

Clearly you have a very personal interest and I was neither 'preaching' nor intending to argue with you, though you have no idea what I know. I do think your comment is a bit unfair on the scientists who published their research as is the norm, but it was jumped on by the media. That's not their fault, but publicizing their initial findings and success to the wider scientific/research community must surely be right?

I wouldn't blame anyone for travelling anywhere to have whatever treatment they can find for serious medical issues, but wouldn't agree without concrete evidence that objectively the NHS has "failed them". The NHS has hard choices to make and many treatments are hideously expensive. The fact has to be faced that there isn't remotely anywhere near enough money to treat everybody, for everything, immediately, with the latest drugs and treatments, on demand.

Anyway that said, my intention wasn't to start an argument, and I wish you good luck in your own case.