MIAMI PROJECT
Keith Jones
[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]
DJ> Does anyone have any news on the Miami Project? The last
DJ> I heard is that they had found something out about the
DJ> RETNEA of the eye. It is the same substance of nerve cells
DJ> or something. They clamed they healed monkeys with spinal
DJ> cord injuries. It worked best for regaining arm use. That
DJ> is BIG NEWS for quadrilpligics (like me, since 90). They
DJ> said they would be getting close to a cure in 3-5 years.
Don't want to burst your bubble, but don't hold your breath. A bunch of
us in chairs were all talking one day at the Craig Hospital waiting to
see the doctor and one guy echoed my sentiments exactly when he said I'll
bet they already have a cure and they will never let it out because there
are too many damn people making money on us (medical supply stores,
doctors, drug companies to name a few). Sad, outrageous but probably
true.
I can surely understand your hope and optimism as I felt the same way
during my first few years after my injury. They were supposedly on the
brink of some breakthrough then. I guess the best suggestion I can
give you is to go on with your life as best you can. Don't expect a cure.
If it happens, great. If not, you won't be let down.
-Keith-
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Rich Veraa
[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]
A message from Keith Jones to Derek Juntunen was released into the
bitstream 12 Sep 92 18:53.
KJ> I'll bet they already have a cure and they will never let it out because
KJ> there are too many damn people making money on us (medical supply
KJ> stores, doctors, drug companies to name a few). Sad, outrageous but
KJ> probably true.
Git real, Floyd. It's sick to even joke about that conspiracy crap
-- and it does a disservice to biomedical scientists everywhere. It
happens to be a damn difficult problem. A half century ago, this
wasn't appreciated, and it was thought that if spinal cord tissue
was put together precisely enough, the nerve connections would be
re-established.
Well, by about thirty years ago, we'd established that it wasn't
that simple. Instead of just repairing the tissue, millions of
individual _cells_ would have to be repaired -- and that was
considered impossible. More recently, we've discovered a lot about
the way individual cells... and the idea of repairing them doesn't
seem so impossible. But it's still a huge task and we don't have
any practical idea how to do it. Dick Bunge's work has enormous
importance in demonstrating the possibility of repairing neural
structures on the cellular level. But, no -- it's doesn't represent
a cure for human paralysis. Even if he's wildly successful in
repairing DRG axons, it will only demonstrate that an SCI cure is
_possible_.
Then it'll still take maybe 50 years to figure out _how_ to do it.
In other words, it _ain't_ easy. I personally think -- as do many
investigators who've devoted their professional lives to this
question -- that eventually a cure for human paralysis _will_ be
found. It won't be in time to affect any paraplegics living today,
but we who've gone through this and know what a bitch it is, owe it
to generations yet unborn to support this research that will
prevent them from suffering as we have.
Cheers,
Rich
KJ> I can surely understand your hope and optimism as I felt the same way
KJ> during my first few years after my injury. They were supposedly on the
KJ> brink of some breakthrough then. I guess the best suggestion I can
KJ> give you is to go on with your life as best you can. Don't expect a cure.
KJ> If it happens, great. If not, you won't be let down.
KJ> -Keith-
KJ> --- EZPoint V2.1
KJ> * Origin: Keith's EZPoint.......Reality is this moment....... (1:114/15.13)
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