Israel to Perform the World’s First Spinal Cord Transplant

New advances in regenerative medicine are giving hope to people with spinal cord injuries in ways that could only be imagined a short time ago. That’s because Israel is preparing to perform a historic milestone that could allow paralyzed patients to walk again.

This is vitally important because over 15 million people worldwide are living with spinal cord injuries, reported The Jerusalem Post. The majority of these injuries were the results of falls or vehicle accidents. Since there are no current treatments that can cure spinal injuries, procedures are done to stabilize the patient and prevent further injuries. But spinal cord injuries cannot heal themselves.

While experimental therapies have been tried, no treatment has restored full function. But now there is hope that a new experimental surgery from Tel Aviv University can change that.

Preparing the Spinal Cord Transplant

The first human trial of a spinal cord engineered from the patient’s own cells has been three years in the planning, according to a press release from Tel Aviv University American Friends. This innovation began when Professor Tal Dvir, head of the Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology and the Nanotechnology Center at Tel Aviv University (TAU) engineered a personalized three-dimensional spinal cord. The research was published in the journal Advanced Science.

The technology was then developed by  Matricelf, a biotech company founded in 2019 based on the organ-engineering technology developed by Professor Dvir and his team at the university.

Since spinal cord neurons cannot naturally regenerate, the new procedure will replace the damaged section with the lab-grown spinal cord. The goal is for the new cord to fuse with healthy tissue above and below the implant.

To ensure that the transplant will be successful, the patient’s own red blood cells were used in a process that transformed them into stem cell-like cells that could develop into any type of cell in the body.

Approval Given

The findings from the researchers were given to the Ministry of Health in Israel. Around six months ago, the team received preliminary approval to begin compassionate use trials for eight patients and additional approval to begin blood collections when the first patient is approved.

The surgery is expected to take place in coming months, according to JPost, and could make Israel a leader in regenerative medicine.

“This is undoubtedly a matter of national pride. The technology was developed here in Israel, at Tel Aviv University and at Matricelf, and from the very beginning it was clear to us that the first-ever surgery would be performed in Israel, with an Israeli patient,” Dvir told JPost.

A successful trial could allow paralyzed patients to walk again and that is clearly something to give hope to people with spinal cord injuries.