WCCO EYE4 LOGO WCCO Radio

Latest News

Wis. Boy With Rare Disease Receives Stem Cells

View Comments
(credit: CBS)

(credit: CBS)

Featured Gallery
Namaste: Yoga Poses For Beginners

For more trusted health

news and information,

visit CBS Minnesota's

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A 4-year-old Wisconsin boy with a rare skin disease has received a stem cell transplant in Minnesota.

Charlie Knuth of Darboy received the transplant Thursday at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital.

Charlie was born without the gene that binds skin together. Doctors hope the transplant will strengthen the boy’s skin.

A stem cell transplant is an infusion of cells, not a surgery. The first infusion of cells took place in Charlie’s hospital room and took about 30 minutes.

Charlie has epidermolysis bullosa, which causes his skin to blister. The disease has no known cure.

The stem cells needed for the treatment are derived from bone marrow and cord blood.

(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View Comments
  • http://hub.tld30.com/pubsub/wis-boy-with-rare-disease-receives-stem-cells/ Wis. Boy With Rare Disease Receives Stem Cells | TLD30.com PubSub Hub

    [...] CBS Minnesota – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic, and the Best of Minnesota Free Short URL Service – Get TLD30 Short [...]

  • PED Coon Rapids

    Whenever one talks about or reports about these kinds of cells, one should ALWAYS INCLUDE the identifier: adult or embryonic. The former gets results and are garnered without controversy. The latter, as far as I understand, have YET to produce helpful results anywhere AND cause the death of the human embryo. More funding should be going to research for the ADULT stem cells rather than to the embryonic.

    • Billy Grahm

      PED Coon Rapids !!, If this was your child wouldn’t you do everything in your power to save his life? unborn baby
      ‘s or not ?

      • PED Coon Rapids

        If, when you say ‘everything,’ you include taking the life of another (and totally innocent) human being — no, I would not.
        Thankfully, the child in this story was saved by utilizing the ADULT stem cells found in bone marrow and cord blood, as stated in the last line. I don’t understand why the reporter chose not to use the appropriate identifier, here.

      • hbjon

        Check out the movie Reanimator. sometimes dead is better.

    • Ericka Stewart

      the reporter probably didn’t mention it because we don’t ever use embryonic stem cells for transplant, making it a completely moot point. thus far, embryonic cells have only been used for research, and are not the reason for the fetus to have been aborted in the first place. they are used long after the fact, more than likely without the choosing party’s knowledge or consent (because it is legal to use human parts, even from grown humans, without knowledge or consent).

  • Minnesota

    If this procedure can help this young man live a better life I say go for it!!

  • Minnesota

    Stem cells are the future of health care!! So why don’t you take liberal arse and suck it??

  • http://livenjoy.co.cc/2010/12/31/cell-disease/ Cell disease | LivenJoy

    [...] Wis. Boy With Rare Disease Receives Stem Cells « CBS Minnesota … [...]

  • Christel Jensen

    Stem Cells are Bone Marrow, Peripheral Blood Stem Cell or Umbilical cord. Umbilical cord blood is not embryonic! Parents can choose to donate umbilical cord from live births to help saves lives. You can go to http://www.bethematch.org for more information.

  • Biz

    Why does everything have to be political. Just because someone is liberal or conservative doesn’t mean they have to agree with everything their said “party” believes in. Some people like to think for themselves. and don’t always fall into the labels that the extreme politicals try to put on everyone. Hopefully this little boy is doing well and his stem cells are helping. Thank you Erika for stating “embyronic have only been used for research”-though some people don’t know the difference the reporter wasn’t required to say which type they were, and further more if they were using the “unapproved” embyronic stem cells you better believe they would let us know that they were trying that treatment and not the approved one.

blog comments powered by Disqus
Listen Live!

Mobile Weather Watcher

Follow CBS Minnesota

Like us on foursquare
wccoradio podcastbanner3 WCCO Radio

Meet WCCO-TV’s Anchors

Amelia Santaniello Frank Vascellaro Chris Shaffer Mark Rosen

TV Schedule

Full Program Grid
7:00 PM Undercover Boss
8:00 PM Blue Bloods
9:00 PM Blue Bloods
10:00 PM WCCO 4 News at Ten
10:35 PM Late Show with David Letterman
11:37 PM The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson