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Israeli scientists create spinal cord implant from human materials

Israeli scientists have engineered 3D human spinal cord tissues and implanted them in mouse models with chronic paralysis, successfully restoring their ability to walk, Report informs, citing JNS.

The researchers engineered functional human spinal cord tissues from human materials (like collagens and sugars) and cells via a process that mimics the development of the spinal cord in human embryos.

Now, the researchers are preparing for the next stage of the study: clinical trials in humans, which they say could begin in as little as two-and-a-half years.

Millions of people around the world are paralyzed due to spinal injury and there is no effective treatment for them. According to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, approximately 17,810 new spinal cord injuries occur each year in the United States alone.

The research, published Monday in the peer-reviewed Advanced Science journal, was conducted by professor Tal Dvir of Tel Aviv University’s Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology. A team of Ph.D. and postdoctoral students supported the efforts.

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