{
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        "description": "<p>May 31, 2012\u2014Scientists in Switzerland have developed a method to help paralyzed rats with severed spinal cords walk\u2014and even climb stairs\u2014again. The team's cocktail of neuronactivating chemicals and electrical stimulation might be a precursor to future treatments for disabled humans, researchers say.</p>", 
        "is_us_only": "false", 
        "title": "Paralyzed Rats Walk Again", 
        "url": "http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/animals-news/paralyzed-rats-walk-vin/", 
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        "related": {
            "link": [
                {
                    "url": "http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/07/photogalleries/blue-rats-food-dye-heals-pictures/", 
                    "name": "Photos: Blue Rats Move Again After Food-Dye Injection"
                }, 
                {
                    "url": "http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/ng-today/101111-cyborg-rats-ngtoday/", 
                    "name": "Video: Cyborg Rats?"
                }
            ]
        }, 
        "credit": "2012 National Geographic; video courtesy EPFL/Gr\u00e9goire Courtine", 
        "smil": "http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/data/xml/paralyzed-rats-walk-vin.smil", 
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        "transcript": "<p>Researchers have found a way to rehabilitate paralyzed rats with severed spinal cords to begin walking on their own again.</p><p>The breakthrough could be a step toward rehabilitating humans with similar injuries.</p><p>The study, at EPFL in Switzerland, involved injecting neuron-activating chemicals into the paralyzed rats, as well as applying electrical stimulation.\u00a0 Researchers say over time, one group of\u00a0 rats, while being held upright with a harness attached to a robotic system, were able to take steps\u00a0 on solid ground with their hind legs, and eventually sprint and climb stairs.</p><p>SOUNDBITE: Gr\u00e9goire Courtine, EPFL Professor of Life Sciences: \"And what we observed is that over time, the animal regains the capacity to perform one, two steps and then a long run, and eventually, a paralyzed rat regains the capacity to sprint on the ground, climb stairs, even pass obstacles.\"</p><p>While the robotic system holds the rats upright, the forward motion is powered by the rat.\u00a0 Previous studies have shown rats regain the ability to walk on a treadmill, but not by themselves.</p><p>The researchers say the finding may put a cure for paralysis in humans due to a severed spinal cord one step closer.\u00a0 Thus far, such a result has eluded scientists.</p><p>SOUNDBITE: Gr\u00e9goire Courtine, EPFL Professor of Life Sciences: \"The therapeutic impact of this type of intervention in humans is difficult to predict.\u00a0 But this very surprising plasticity in recovery that we have observed in the rat opens a promising perspective to improve function in humans with spinal cord injury.\"</p><p>The study is published in the June 1st, 2012 edition of Science Magazine.</p>", 
        "id": "paralyzed-rats-walk-vin"
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}