Historic: Israel will perform a spinal cord implant using the patient's own cells

Israel is about to become the first country in the world to perform a laboratory-grown spinal cord implant using a patient's own cells.

The announcement was made by Tel Aviv University and marks a historic milestone in regenerative medicine, with the potential to restore mobility to people with paralysis.

The surgery, scheduled for the coming months, will be performed in Israel and could open a new era in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, a condition that affects more than 15 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Currently, these patients lack a definitive cure and treatments only aim to stabilize the injury, reduce pain, and maximize functionality.

The project is led by Professor Tal Dvir, director of the Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology and the Nanotechnology Center at Tel Aviv University.

Dvir explained that the spinal cord functions like an "electric cable" that transmits signals from the brain to the rest of the body. When an injury occurs—whether from a traffic accident, fall, or combat wound—that circuit is broken and causes irreversible paralysis.

The innovation consists of replacing the damaged section with spinal cord tissue caused in the laboratory from the patient's own cells.

The process begins with the reprogramming of blood cells into stem cells capable of transforming into any tissue. Then, using the patient's fat tissue, a customized hydrogel is manufactured to serve as a scaffold for forming a new spinal cord. This structure is implanted in the injured area and fuses with healthy tissue, restoring the nerve connection.

In animal studies, especially in mice with chronic paralysis, the results were remarkable: the animals walked normally again.

The Israeli Ministry of Health granted approval a few months ago for "compassionate use" trials in eight patients.

This is the first authorization of its kind in the world. "From the beginning, we knew that the first surgery would be performed in Israel, with an Israeli patient. It is a source of national pride," Dvir stated.

The technology is being developed by the biotechnology company Matricelf, founded in 2019 and led by Gil Hakim, who emphasized: "This procedure marks the transition from pioneering research to the actual treatment of patients. If successful, it will set a new standard in the care of spinal cord injuries, a field without effective solutions until now."

Spinal cord injuries are one of the few types of damage in the human body that can't heal naturally. Nerve tissue doesn't regenerate on its own and, over time, scars block any signal transmission. For this reason, this technique represents an unprecedented hope.

"We want to help paralyzed patients get up from their wheelchairs. The results in animal models were extraordinary, and we hope that in humans they will be just as promising," Dvir concluded.