Tel Aviv University researchers are preparing for the world’s first spinal cord implant in humans using engineered tissue grown from the patient’s own cells, marking a breakthrough that could restore walking ability to paralyzed patients within the coming year.
The groundbreaking procedure, developed at Tel Aviv University’s Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, uses a fully personalized approach that transforms a patient’s blood and fat cells into functional spinal cord tissue. Professor Tal Dvir, head of the research team, explained that “more than 80% of the animals regained full walking ability” in preclinical trials using the engineered implants.
The innovative process begins by reprogramming blood cells from patients through genetic engineering to behave like embryonic stem cells capable of becoming any type of cell in the body. Meanwhile, fat tissue from the same patient is used to extract substances such as collagen and sugars to produce a unique hydrogel that serves as the foundation for the implant.
“We take the cells that we’ve reprogrammed into embryonic-like stem cells, place them inside the gel, and mimic the embryonic development of the spinal cord,” Professor Dvir said. The result is a complete three-dimensional spinal cord implant that contains neuronal networks capable of transmitting electrical signals.
The technology addresses one of medicine’s most challenging injuries. “When the spinal cord is torn due to trauma — from a car accident, a fall, or a battlefield injury — this chain is broken,” Dvir explained, comparing it to “an electrical cable that’s been cut: if the two parts don’t touch, the electrical signal can’t pass”.
Unlike other body tissues, spinal cord injuries have no natural ability to regenerate. “Neurons are cells that do not divide and do not renew themselves. They are not like skin cells, which can repair themselves after injury,” Dvir noted.
The research team successfully tested the implant in laboratory animals with chronic paralysis — not recently injured animals, but those allowed sufficient time to pass, similar to human patients more than a year after injury. The remarkable success rate in animal trials led to regulatory approval from Israel’s Ministry of Health.
“About six months ago we received preliminary approval to begin compassionate-use trials with eight patients,” Dvir announced. The team decided that the first patient would be Israeli, with Dvir calling it “undoubtedly a matter of national pride.”
The first implant in a human patient is expected within about a year, according to the Tel Aviv University announcement. For initial trials, researchers will focus on patients whose paralysis is relatively recent, within about a year of injury.
The technology has been commercialized through Matricelf, a biotech company founded in 2019 by Professor Dvir and Dr. Alon Sinai under a licensing agreement with Ramot, Tel Aviv University’s technology transfer company. Company CEO Gil Hakim called the milestone “the shift from pioneering research to patient treatment”.
“Our approach, using each patient’s own cells to engineer a new spinal cord, eliminates key safety risks and positions Matricelf at the forefront of regenerative medicine,” Hakim said. He emphasized that successful trials could transform an area of medicine long considered untreatable while addressing a multi-billion-dollar market with no effective solutions.
The personalized nature of the treatment using patients’ own cells eliminates rejection risks commonly associated with transplant procedures. After about a month in laboratory development, researchers obtain “a 3D implant with many neurons that transmit electrical signals” that can be implanted into the damaged spinal cord area.
Professor Dvir expressed confidence that “once we prove that the treatment works — everything is open, and we’ll be able to treat any injury,” potentially expanding treatment beyond recently injured patients to those with longer-term paralysis.
The research represents years of development, building on the team’s initial success three years ago when they first engineered human spinal cord tissue in laboratory conditions. The rapid progression from laboratory research to human trials demonstrates the potential impact of Israeli medical innovation on treating previously incurable conditions.
As reported by Ynet News, the breakthrough has garnered international attention as the first attempt to replace damaged spinal cord sections with laboratory-grown tissue that can fuse with healthy tissue above and below injuries.
The Jerusalem Post also highlighted the significance of Israel conducting the world’s first spinal cord transplant, noting the potential for paralyzed patients to regain mobility through this innovative approach.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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