Israeli breakthrough could make paralysis reversible

 

Every year, up to half a million people worldwide suffer spinal cord injuries that lead to paralysis, often a life-changing and irreversible condition. But in Israel, scientists are on the verge of changing that narrative.

At the cutting-edge biotech company Matricelf, a team of researchers is engineering new spinal cord tissue from a patient’s own cells, a groundbreaking step that could soon allow people confined to wheelchairs to walk again.

“A drug cannot bring back a new liver, brain, or spinal cord,” explains Gil, one of the company’s leading scientists. “What we are providing here is the potential to cure diseases that drugs cannot.”

Inside Matricelf’s lab, scientists extract fatty tissue and blood samples from patients to create personalized neural tissue, which is then used to replace damaged sections of the spinal cord. “We generate stem cells from the patient’s tissue,” says Dr. Tamar, a senior researcher. “The fatty tissue provides the scaffolding material that allows the cells to form functional neural networks.”

The technology, developed by Prof. Tal Dvir of Tel Aviv University’s Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, has already been successfully tested on paralyzed rats, which were able to walk and run within days of treatment. Israel’s Ministry of Health has now granted preliminary approval for “compassionate use” clinical trials on eight Israeli patients.

“It’s part of our national pride to have this tested here first,” says Gil. “It’s only natural that Israeli patients should be the first to benefit from this treatment.”

Using advanced tissue and genetic engineering, the team has managed to recreate a functional spinal network that mimics the natural structure of the spinal cord. Under the microscope, the engineered tissues appear “happy to connect with one another,” says Tamar, describing how they exchange electrical signals much like a healthy spinal cord.

The process takes about six months from cell collection to transplantation. Once implanted, the tissue “starts to send signals to the host,” Gil explains. “Within weeks, we see the circuit reconnect, the brain and spinal cord begin communicating again.”

The research carries special urgency in Israel, where thousands of soldiers and reservists have been injured or paralyzed during the war against Hamas. The initial trials will focus on patients with localized spinal injuries, cases where the damage is clear and measurable.

“We know exactly where the communication is cut off,” says Gil. “By placing our implant in that area, we can restore the circuit, we can literally close the loop.”

If successful, this innovation could revolutionize rehabilitation medicine and bring hope to millions. As one researcher put it, “We’re not just repairing tissue, we’re restoring lives.”