The MIT Technology Review looks at a portion of Geron's stem cell research: "Geron's clinical trial of a therapy to treat spinal cord injuries will likely be the first human test of an embryonic stem cell-based treatment. ... embryonic stem cells are the starting ingredient rather than the treatment itself. The embryonic stem cells, which are potentially able to form any human cell type, are transformed into oligodendrocytes - a type of brain cell that wraps itself around neurons, forming a fatty insulation layer that allows electrical messages to be conducted throughout the nervous system. These cells are then injected into the site of the injury, coating neuronal projections that were damaged in the accident and restoring communication to the nervous system."

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