Israel Plans First Human Spinal Cord Implant Using Patient Cells

Israeli researchers at Tel Aviv University, led by Professor Tal Dvir, are preparing to conduct the world's first human spinal cord implant using lab-grown tissue derived from the patient's own cells. This pioneering surgery, approved by Israel's Health Ministry for compassionate-use trials, aims to restore neurological communication by replacing scar tissue with a personalized, living spinal cord segment capable of transmitting electrical signals, potentially enabling paralyzed patients to regain movement and walk again. The spinal cord tissue is engineered by reprogramming the patient's blood cells into stem cells and cultivating them on a gel scaffold made from the patient's fat, collagens, and sugars, mimicking embryonic spinal cord development. Successful animal tests, including in paralyzed mice where over 80% regained movement, have paved the way for the human trial involving eight patients. This breakthrough addresses the critical challenge that spinal cord injuries currently have no natural regenerative ability and no reliable cure, as the spinal cord's complex nerve cells cannot naturally renew themselves after trauma. The implant offers a novel regenerative medicine approach that could transform treatment for over 15 million people worldwide living with spinal cord injuries caused primarily by trauma.