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Hallan Hopes For A Cure With OEG Cells (olfactory ensheathing glia) BY CRYSTAL PUGSLEY, OF THE PLAINSMAN September 15, 2003 Leo Hallan's life changed in one horrifying instant 27 years ago, when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Now the Yankton man, who is a native of Iroquois, is hoping that a trip overseas will change his life just as drastically. Hallan, a 1974 graduate of Iroquois High School, and former mayor of Iroquois, moved to Yankton to be closer to his children in 1993. Dr. Hongyun Huang from Beijing, China, has been working with OEG cells (olfactory ensheathing glia) that come from the area of the nose that meets the brain. The cells are cultured and multiplied, and then 500,000 are injected above the spinal injury, and 500,000 below. "They migrate to the injury and start doing their magic," Hallan said. "It's regeneration, causing the cells to wake up. I've heard that phrase mentioned a couple of times. It's causing the cells to wake up and start working again. "The success has been really good. They're looking at two levels of physical movement, and three to five levels of sensation," he said. "For me, that would mean almost complete total use of my arms and hands back. Each case is different, but I'm hopeful." Hallan is raising money to make his trip possible. He's scheduled to fly to China in April, staying three weeks to a month at most. When he returns to the United States, he'll go through six months of rehabilitation. He'll be able to keep in touch with Huang via the Internet. A fund raising picnic will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Yankton's Riverside Park. Donations can be sent to: Send Leo to China, First National Bank, P.O. Box 670, Yankton, S.D. 57078; and a collection site has also been established at Farmers and Merchants Bank in Iroquois. "This month three people from the United States are heading over there," Hallan said. "A friend of mine from South Dakota is heading over there on the 20th." Huang has operated on 350 patients so far, and the results have been amazing. "Within three days they're seeing a return (of mobility) starting," Hallan said. "They're just dumbfounded. They truly don't understand it themselves yet." Hallan said the prospects are almost more than he can imagine. Since the accident, he has had limited movement of his shoulders and arms, but no movement whatsoever in his hands. "It's taken a while to come to grips with, the fact that I'll be able to drive, push my own chair - the list is just long of the things I'm going to be able to do for myself." Hallan learned about Huang and his research with OEG cells about three years ago, while searching the Web. "One of the leading researchers made the statement that it was not a matter of if, but when, there would be a cure for paralysis," he said. "The thought had never crossed my mind until then." Last year he got involved in a national group called Quest for the Cure, which is raising money for spinal cord research. A number of states have added $5 onto all traffic violations for research, but the measure fell three votes short in South Dakota last year, he said. "Forty-four percent of spinal cord injuries are motor vehicle accidents," Hallan said. Hallan said he has been in therapy for the past year and a half to get his body into shape so he can get the most potential out of the treatment. The only controversy to the treatment in China is that the OEG cells are harvested from aborted fetuses. Because each family is allowed only one child in China, abortions are rampant. These human clinical trials with OEG cells are just beginning in Portugal, Spain and Australia, only they're harvesting the patients own cells. The success of Huang's method is much higher than in countries where a patient's own cells are being used. "I consider myself pro life, but the matter of fact is that it's going to continue," Hallan said. "Yesterday, abortions happened over there, and no good came from them. With all my heart I wish we could stop all abortions, but if we can get something good ... I feel that some good can come from tragedy. That's exactly what's happening." Hallan said he's going to keep in touch with his friend from Eastern South Dakota who will be heading to China for the procedure on Sept. 20. The young man is only 25, but has been paralyzed for the past three years. "He's a great kid and I'm so happy for him," said Hallan, who is 47. "This research has the potential, not only for spinal cord, but for the whole central nervous system. The potential for multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, it's enormous." Hallan said he'll need to raise $25,000 for the China trip. The procedure itself is just under $20,000. The rest will cover the flight and expenses for himself and an attendant. "What's going on in China and Australia and Spain, we're starting to see it every day and it's putting pressure on researchers in the United States to get going," he said. "We should be the leader." SOURCE: The Huron Plainsman, SD / ZWire http://tinyurl.com/nind Reference: OEG Background http://www.cordtalk.org/oeg/oeg_background.htm Olfactory Ensheathing Glia: Drivers of Axonal Regeneration in the Central Nervous System? http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=139118 Repair of Damaged Spinal Cords http://pweb.jps.net/~cryocoo/periastron/may2000/repairspinal.htm * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn