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Corsair4 t1_jddfaer wrote

Reply to comment by Kinexity in New 'biohybrid' implant will restore function in paralyzed limbs | "This interface could revolutionize the way we interact with technology." by chrisdh79

>Also title itself says "paralyzed limbs".

Who cares what the title says?

In an ideal world, people would read the actual published journal article. The bare minimum should be reading the entirety of the public facing article because science is all about the details, and headlines are not. Now we can get into the quality of science journalism (generally, it's shit), but this article actually addresses your exact criticisms directly and clearly.

The situation "they" present (if one reads the article, which you clearly didn't) is both restoration of function, AND integration of artificial limbs.

Besides that, the linked article talks quite a bit about the specific problem this is solving (scar tissue development) and other possible uses (prosthetics and BCIs).

Off the top of my head, using a similar strategy may be a benefit to things such as deep brain stimulators or other CNS implants that are upstream of the spinal cord, since glial scarring is a huge problem there too.

So, no - this isn't a "dead end" for the situation they present it, because they present multiple situations and you focused (incorrectly) on one. Turns out, reading past the headline is often helpful when discussing recent developments in cutting edge, detail oriented fields.

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cyankitten t1_jdea9o2 wrote

As someone who due to recovering from a fractured ankle & another issue that has come from THAT THANK you for being someone positive in this thread. Even though I’m not paralysed thank goodness, I don’t know when I’ll walk again & sometimes I wonder if it’s an IF though dr seems hopeful. So thank you. Somehow reading this article and your reply gives me some comfort during a difficult and uncertain time!

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Corsair4 t1_jdeizne wrote

revolutionary in scientific circles is very different than revolutionary in public facing circles.

At it's core, this group is using stem cells to prevent glial scarring. That's huge. Implants like electrodes are an obvious starting point, but there's some recent work - apart from this paper - also looking at using stem cells to manage scarring from actual injury to nervous tissue - so that could be a management strategy for spinal cord injuries or peripheral nervous issues. All sorts of cool avenues to look at next.

Is this something that will be a treatment strategy in the next 6 months? absolutely not. Progress happens slowly, but it does happen, and this is a great track to explore.

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