…alright, not quite, but the dye in blue M&Ms is very similar to Brilliant Blue G, which CAN prevent paralysis when injected immediately after a spinal injury.
It seems to have very few side effects, though the mice do turn blue (which is awfully cute in mice, though I imagine it would be a little traumatic for humans), and so even if it’s hit-or-miss, even if it only works in say, 3% of patients (and it shows potential to be much more effective than that), it will be worth trying for everyone, because currently after a spinal injury one is basically made comfortable and told to wait and see what happens — and here’s the thing, when you’re dealing with paralysis, even a very small improvement is a major accomplishment. Just one little change can improve someone’s quality of life exponentially. Things like this matter.
It’s not a cure, but it’s an amazing step forward. I really wish Christopher Reeve was around to see this, he would be so very, very happy. Kick the Reeve Foundation a little cash next time you’re feeling a karmic debt, or why not buy one of their Superman dogtags right now, just for the hell of it? I promise your money will go to good use.
