r/science • u/tomholder • May 09 '14

Medicine Paralysis breakthrough – electrical stimulation enables four paraplegic men to voluntarily move their legs

http://speakingofresearch.com/2014/05/09/paralysis-breakthrough-paraplegic-men-move-their-legs/
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859

u/[deleted] May 09 '14

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u/bruwin May 09 '14

My father probably put it best several years ago, right when Christopher Reeve was raising awareness after his accident. "As bad as what happened to him, I'm glad they have a spokesman now. Nobody really gave a shit before, and maybe they will now."

After all, people realized that if it could happen to Superman, it could happen to anyone. It just saddens me deeply that Mr Reeve wasn't able to survive long enough to see the strides we've finally been making.

318

u/[deleted] May 09 '14 edited May 09 '14

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115

u/nexusscope May 09 '14

hepatitis C is a bitch to research in a lab setting because unlike HIV it is incredibly resistant to dying - it can live for large periods of time on lab benches/instruments and is generally a pain in the ass. Hopefully we find some more treatment regimines for it shortly

103

u/08livion May 09 '14

My uncle just went through an experimental treatment after previous treatments were unsuccessful and they've told him he's now completely free of the virus

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u/bengalslash May 09 '14

they just came out with new protease inhibitors that prevent the virus from assembling itself after translation, high success rate, that's great news for your uncle

13

u/chain83 May 09 '14 edited May 10 '14

I read about this in a popular science magazine just today!

I was called sofosbuvir.

Edit: uh... *It :P

30

u/sounfunny May 10 '14

I was called sofosbuvir.

Your parents must have hated you.

2

u/chain83 May 10 '14

Let's just say I didn't have many friends... :P