This is a thriller. Just the way they are united with the patients is a giant step forward. Girija, it is great that you know them; convey our thanks and gratitude. I guess I can't ask you to kidnap them, but let's encourage them as much as possible

This is very precisely the revolution in research that we need

“The research, funded by the patients and their supporters…” who pays the piper calls the tune

“… restore near-normal movement for a decade or more, and the procedure could be repeated as needed.” Yeah, we could live with that.

“That’s unappealing to drug companies, who want treatments that can be mass-produced…. getting government grants hasn’t been possible…” One huge dinosaur said to another huge dinosaur: where did those little furry animals come from…?

“Patients and other group members evangelize the project in person, by email, and by videos explaining its significance.” Hmmm. No shortage of volunteer fund-raising when the patients are fully part of the entire process.

“..benefit from actually getting to know the people their research is devoted to. It makes the science less abstract and more human. The patients and the researchers feed off each other,” This alone is such radical concept, they should make a study of the study – showing other researchers that they will benefit in their own careers if they team up with the people whose lives they are trying to save. Medicine is science, but it is also an art, and it is always about people. For most of the past 50 years, the last two were chucked out.

“So far, Summit4StemCell hasn’t had any luck getting money from government sources, such as California’s $3 billion stem cell program or the federal National Institutes of Health. One problem is that the approach is still new….” Yeah, wouldn’t you just know that.
Notice how, when it gets real, everybody gets revealed. Big Gov and Big Pharma are not designed to do anything new; or create the future. They are too big to fail and too big to succeed. They don't remember why they came to the dance.

This is all great news and this is hereby declared to be a day of celebration.