article_snippet: In a paper released Wednesday by the journal Nature, researcher Kristen Batich of the Duke University Medical Center and others describe a study of 12 patients.
article_snippet: Dr. John Sampson of Duke, senior author of the report, called the results promising but noted a study of 12 patients was small, and said bigger studies are needed to confirm the results.  
article_snippet: A follow-up study has already been planned but isn't recruiting patients yet, researcher Kristen Batich of the Duke University Medical Center said.
article_snippet: Then The 12 patients in the new study were randomly divided into two groups.
article_snippet: One group got a dummy dose.
article_snippet: Still, overall results for One group indicated a small benefit from the cell injections alone, Batich said.
article_snippet: The study was funded in part by a government grant to a business venture that is licensing the technology.