Israel is preparing to make medical history with the world’s first spinal cord implant in a human patient, using the patient’s own cells. The groundbreaking procedure, announced by Tel Aviv University, could one day allow paralyzed people to stand and walk again. The surgery is expected to take place in Israel within the coming months.
Spinal cord injuries affect more than 15 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization. Most cases are caused by road accidents, falls, or violent trauma. At present, such injuries cannot be cured, treatment mainly focuses on preventing further damage, stabilizing the patient, and helping them adapt with rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and assistive devices like wheelchairs.
The spinal cord acts like an electrical cable, carrying signals from the brain to the body. When it’s cut, the connection is lost, and the patient is paralyzed below the injury, explained Professor Tal Dvir, who leads the project at Tel Aviv University’s Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology. Dvir is also the chief scientist at Matricelf, the biotech company behind the new therapy.
Unlike other tissues, the spinal cord does not regenerate naturally. Scar tissue that forms after an injury makes recovery even more difficult. The new approach seeks to replace the damaged section with lab-grown tissue that can reconnect healthy nerves above and below the injury. In animal studies, paralyzed rats treated with this method regained the ability to walk.
The research began three years ago in Dvir’s lab, where his team engineered a 3D human spinal cord from a patient’s own cells. The results, published in the journal Advanced Science, showed paralyzed mice regaining mobility after implantation.
Here’s how the procedure works: Doctors take blood cells from the patient and reprogram them into stem-like cells, which can become any cell type. Fat tissue is also collected to create a gel-like scaffold. Together, these materials are used to grow a personalized spinal cord structure in the lab. Once ready, the engineered tissue is implanted to replace the scarred area, reconnecting the nervous system.
Recently, Israel’s Ministry of Health granted approval for “compassionate use” trials in eight patients, making Israel the first country to attempt the surgery.
This is a matter of national pride, said Prof. Dvir. The technology was developed here at Tel Aviv University and Matricelf, and it was clear that the first surgery would take place in Israel, with an Israeli patient.
Matricelf, founded in 2019, is commercializing the innovation. Its CEO, Gil Hakim, said: This marks the transition from lab research to real patient care. Because the treatment uses each patient’s own cells, it avoids many safety risks. If successful, this could set a new standard for spinal cord repair in a field that currently has no real solutions.
He also added that the therapy addresses a multi-billion-dollar global medical need. Our mission is to help paralyzed patients rise from their wheelchairs. The animal trials showed extraordinary success, and we are hopeful humans will see the same results.
