Human stem cells treat spinal cord injury side effects in mice

People with spinal cord injuries suffer from many complications in addition to paralysis and numbness. Some of these problems are caused by a lack of the neurotransmitter GABA in the injured spinal cord. Now research in mice is showing that human embryonic stem cells differentiated into medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-like cells, which produce GABA, may help alleviate two of the most severe side effects — chronic neuropathic pain and bladder dysfunction.