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Stem cells can help cure paralysis
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
American specialists recently announced that they were able to restore motor activity in animals with spinal cord injuries – they published the results of their research in one of the scientific publications. It is worth noting that this scientific project is unique, since previously specialists could not influence the regeneration processes in the spinal cord, they took quite a long time, and the recovery was not always complete.
At the University of California, a team of neurophysiologists conducted experiments on rats with spinal cord damage. The work was based on matrix stem cells, which subsequently formed into spinal cord neurons. The specialists injected the cells directly into the spinal cord of paralyzed animals, as a result of which its integrity was gradually restored. Observations showed that the cells injected into the spinal cord began to function over time, and their work was completely identical to the original brain cells. The new cells took an active part in the formation of new tissues, thanks to which the previously paralyzed animals were able to move again.
The head of the research project, Mark Tuszynski, noted that thanks to the new method, in the near future specialists will be able to restore mobility in people who, as a result of severe injuries, were left paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. The research group explained that the most important element of the normal functioning of the motor system of vertebrates is the corticospinal tract, for a long time all research in this area ended in failure, and now, finally, Tuszynski's group managed to achieve a positive effect.
The scientists are now planning to conduct experiments on larger animals. The research team also stated that, although the first experiments were successful, there is always a factor of chance, since in earlier studies, as already mentioned, it was not possible to restore the motor activity of laboratory animals.
Scientists are almost certain that the method can be used to treat people, but before clinical trials can begin, the safety of the method must be confirmed, long-term effects must be studied in an animal model, and the most suitable type of cells must be selected for transplantation into humans. For rats, the scientists selected neural precursor cells from rats and humans, which are capable of developing into different types of cells. After being injected into the animal's spinal cord, the cells filled in damaged areas and connected to intact neurons, after which signal transmission was restored and mobility returned.
Stem cells are immature cells present in various multicellular organisms, the peculiarity of such cells is the ability to self-renew and form new cells, as well as to transform into cells of various organs and tissues of the body. It is this ability that has interested scientists and stem cells have become one of the main objects of research, especially in the field of regenerative medicine.
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