1.   This absence of feeling, I dismissed as damaged nerve endings.

2.   And damaged peripheral nerves, when they regrow at all, grow exceedingly slowly.

3.   Another line of research is looking at methods of repairing damaged nerves by re-growing tissue.

4.   As Weathersby speaks, he looks at his activator, a device that looks a little like a tire-pressure gauge to stimulate damaged nerves.

5.   But the one remaining injury -- the damaged nerves in his left eye that give him double vision -- may take six months to a year to heal.

6.   Embryonic stem cells interest scientists because they have the potential to develop into any tissue in the body, helping to regenerate damaged nerves, muscles, or organs.

7.   He also has a damaged nerve in his right foot that caused pain in his big toe.

8.   He said treatment was expected to begin with an experimental drug in an attempt to regenerate damaged nerves.

9.   In the laboratory, these same embryonic stem cells could be used to fashion spare parts to repair weak hearts or damaged nerves.

10.   Instead, researchers found, the spinal nerve cells and surrounding tissue contain proteins which, for unknown reasons, inhibit any regrowth of damaged nerves.