In a stunning leap for regenerative medicine, Tel Aviv University has announced preparations to perform the world’s first human spinal cord transplant using tissue engineered from a patient’s own cells. The procedure, developed at the university’s Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology, promises to offer hope to millions living with paralysis—potentially allowing some to stand and walk again.
This groundbreaking announcement, made on August 20, 2025, marks a historic milestone not only for Israel but for the entire global medical community. According to Tel Aviv University, the surgery will use a fully personalized approach: scientists reprogram a patient’s blood and fat cells into stem-cell-like cells, which are then grown into a three-dimensional spinal cord implant. This lab-grown tissue is designed to fuse with healthy nerves, restoring the vital communication between the brain and the body that is lost after spinal cord injuries.
Spinal cord injuries are a devastating medical challenge worldwide. More than 15 million people globally live with such injuries, most resulting from road accidents, falls, or violence, as reported by Ynet News. Until now, treatment has centered on stabilizing patients and intensive rehabilitation, but no cure has been able to restore full function to the spinal cord. The new procedure, led by Professor Tal Dvir—head of the Sagol Center and chief scientist at Israeli biotech firm Matricelf—may change that reality.
Professor Dvir explained the science behind the innovation. The process begins by reprogramming blood cells from a patient, using genetic engineering to make them behave like embryonic stem cells. These cells, capable of becoming any type of cell in the body, are then placed into a hydrogel made from the patient’s fat tissue. This gel, rich in collagen and sugars, serves as a scaffold and mimics the environment of embryonic spinal cord development. "We take the cells that we’ve reprogrammed into embryonic-like stem cells, place them inside the gel, and mimic the embryonic development of the spinal cord," Dvir told The Jerusalem Post.
The result? A complete, three-dimensional spinal cord implant containing neuronal networks that can transmit electrical signals. In essence, the engineered tissue is designed to bridge the gap in a damaged spinal cord, restoring the broken chain of nerve signals. Dvir likened it to repairing an electrical cable: "When the spinal cord is torn due to trauma—from a car accident, a fall, or a battlefield injury—this chain is broken. If the two parts don’t touch, the electrical signal can’t pass." Unlike skin or other tissues, neurons in the spinal cord do not regenerate naturally, making injuries especially devastating.
What sets this technology apart is its personalized approach. By using a patient’s own cells, the risks of tissue rejection—so common in transplant procedures—are eliminated. After about a month of laboratory development, scientists produce a 3D implant rich in neurons capable of transmitting electrical impulses, ready to be implanted into the damaged area of the patient’s spinal cord.
The journey to this point has been years in the making. Three years ago, Professor Dvir’s team first engineered human spinal cord tissue in laboratory conditions. Building on that early success, they moved to animal trials, which delivered extraordinary results. According to Tel Aviv University, more than 80% of paralyzed rats in preclinical studies regained full walking ability after receiving the implants. These trials were not conducted on recently injured animals; instead, the rats had chronic paralysis, simulating the condition of human patients more than a year after injury. The remarkable outcomes fueled optimism that the therapy could work for people, too.
Israel’s Ministry of Health took notice. About six months before the August 2025 announcement, the ministry granted preliminary approval for "compassionate use" trials with eight patients. This approval makes Israel the first country in the world to attempt such a procedure in humans. The first patient, an Israeli, has already been selected, and the initial human implant is expected within about a year. For these early trials, the focus will be on patients whose paralysis is relatively recent—within about a year of injury. However, Professor Dvir has expressed hope that, if successful, the treatment could eventually be extended to those with longer-term paralysis as well.
"This is undoubtedly a matter of national pride," Professor Dvir stated during the announcement. "Our goal is to help paralyzed patients rise from their wheelchairs. The animal trials showed extraordinary success, and we are hopeful the results in humans will be just as promising."
The significance of this development is not lost on the medical community or the biotechnology sector. Matricelf, the company commercializing the technology, was founded in 2019 by Professor Dvir and Dr. Alon Sinai under a licensing agreement with Ramot, Tel Aviv University’s technology transfer arm. Gil Hakim, CEO of Matricelf, called the procedure "the shift from pioneering research to patient treatment." He added, "Our approach, using each patient’s own cells to engineer a new spinal cord, eliminates key safety risks and positions Matricelf at the forefront of regenerative medicine." Hakim also emphasized the broader impact: "This first procedure is more than a scientific breakthrough; it is a step toward transforming an area of medicine long considered untreatable."
The global implications are enormous. The market for spinal cord injury treatments is a multi-billion-dollar sector with few effective solutions. The Jerusalem Post highlighted that this is the first attempt to replace damaged spinal cord sections with laboratory-grown tissue that can fuse with healthy tissue above and below the injury, potentially restoring lost mobility to paralyzed patients. If the human trials mirror the success seen in animals, the world may be on the brink of a new era in treating paralysis.
But how soon might this become a reality for the millions affected? While the first human surgery is expected within a year, researchers urge cautious optimism. Years of further trials and regulatory reviews will be required before the procedure becomes widely available. Still, the rapid progression from laboratory bench to bedside—just three years after first engineering the tissue—demonstrates the dynamism of Israeli medical innovation.
For now, the world is watching. As the compassionate-use trials begin, patients, doctors, and families alike are daring to hope for a future where a broken spinal cord is no longer a life sentence. The story unfolding in Tel Aviv may soon redefine what’s possible in medicine—and for those who dream of walking again, it’s a development worth following closely.
