History or hype? World's first ESC trial gets under way

An Atlanta patient with a crushed spine has become the first to ever be treated with an embryonic stem cell therapy.

An Atlanta patient with a crushed spine has become the first to ever be treated with an embryonic stem cell therapy--a development that was described as both clinically historic and just the latest small step in a painstakingly slow development odyssey that has stretched out for years.

"There is no doubt that this is the dawn of the stem cell age," Chris Mason, a regenerative medicine expert at University College, London, declared to ABC News. Geron is mounting the tiny trial after doggedly seeking a regulatory green light for years.

To be chosen as one of the eight patients who will be recruited for this Phase I safety test, a patient's spine needs to be crushed-but not severed--in the middle of the back, be free of infection and have a clean cancer history. And just to make sure that no one claims they were coerced, Reuters reports that each volunteer will be accompanied by an independent patient advocate and given a chance to consult with a member of the clerg