A successful rodent study showed promise for future treatment of spinal injuries.

Menlo Park, California-based Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN - News) is trading higher by 6% today after reporting the results of a recent spinal injury study in rodents. Geron used oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to reduce tissue damage in the rodent model of cervical spinal cord injury - a process that could potentially limit paralysis in humans.

According to the press release, over half of the 11,000 human spinal cord injuries in the U.S. each year are in the cervical region (the neck). Geron president and CEO Dr. Thomas B. Okarma, explained, "These preclinical studies demonstrate that transplantation of hESC-derived OPCs resulted in sparing of spinal cord tissue in the cervical lesion site. This sparing starts very soon after injection and importantly, results in the preservation of motor neurons, which is correlated to recovery of forelimb movement."

Over the last month, Geron stock remains negative by -11%. Though unimpressive, it is still on par with the Stem Cell Stocks Index, which is trailing the S&P 500 by -14% for the period.

StemCells (NASDAQ: STEM - News) and Opexa Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OPXA - News) are the biggest losers over the last month, down by more than -25%. The latter remains a 10-bagger on a yearly basis, however, after a deal with Novartis (NYSE: NVS - News) sent shares soaring in August.

Meanwhile, Neuralstem (AMEX: CUR - News), which focuses on biotherapeutic products for treatment of central nervous system diseases, is ahead by more than 20% for the period.

Thermogenesis (NASDAQ: KOOL - News) and Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OSIR - News) are the only other one-month winners. The former's subsidiary, Vantus is a veterinary stem cell laboratory service, which the company hopes will translate into a better understanding of human therapeutic products.

Aastrom Biosciences (NASDAQ: ASTM - News) and Israeli stem cell player Pluristem Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PSTI - News) are among the day's laggards, both down by -3%.

As of this writing, the Stem Cell Stocks Index is one of the 15 worst-performing tickerspy Indexes over the last month, down by -11.5%. While individual studies and subsequent breakthroughs have largely powered the sector to date, the industry's growth as a whole will be interesting to watch moving forward.

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