Four men paralyzed from the chest down were able to get out of their wheelchairs on their own due to a breakthrough in spinal cord injury research.

The men had electrical stimulators surgically implanted in their spines and are working toward regaining the ability to walk, CNN reported.

Along with being able to stand up from their wheelchairs, the men said the implanted electrical stimulator has also allowed them to have sex again and significantly improved their bowel and bladder control.

An article describing the research by Dr. Susan Harkema and colleagues at the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville was published Friday in the online journal PLoS One.

"I can stand up for more than half an hour," said Dustin Shillcox, who was paralyzed in a car accident five years ago, CNN reported. "It's awesome. It's amazing. It's a hopeful feeling."

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is raising $15 million to do the procedure in dozens more patients. More than 4,000 people have already signed up to take part in the research.

"We're really excited. We think the future looks very bright for those with spinal cord injuries," said foundation president Peter Wilderotter, CNN reported.