Paralyzed Man Stands on His Own, Thanks to Reprogrammed Stem Cells

After being injected with reprogrammed neural stem cells as part of a first-of-its-kind trial, a Japanese man paralyzed from a spinal-cord injury was able to stand on his own, giving hope to millions of people who are living with the condition.

“That person is now training to walk,” says Hideyuki Okano, a stem-cell scientist at Keio University in Tokyo who run the trial. “This is a dramatic recovery.”

Creating reprogrammed stem cells – namely, pluripotent stem (iPS) cells – requires reverting adult cells to an embryonic-like state, to be coaxed into developing into other cells. Each of the four individuals taking part was injected with two million iPS cells derived from a donor. The injection was made into each patient’s injury site; the goal was for the iPS cells to develop into neurons and glial cells. For six months after the surgery, recipients were given immune-suppressing drugs to prevent their bodies from attacking the cells. After the one-year follow-up, no serious adverse effects were observed. All individuals had the highest injury classification (A, as measured by the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale), and the one who can stand on his own has moved up to a classification of D (normal function is classified as E). Another man also regained some movement, but two others experienced minimal improvement. More extensive trials are needed to assess efficacy and determine which types of spinal-cord injury respond to treatment. The Tokyo-based biotechnology startup K Pharma will apply for approval to launch more extensive clinical trials. In 2019, around 900,000 people globally experienced a spinal-cord injury, and 20 million live with this condition.