The Key to Treating Spinal Injury? Placenta Protein!

A pioneering Brazilian treatment is showing the potential to reverse spinal cord injuries — a medical breakthrough once thought impossible.

From the placenta, the tender wrapper of human life, comes a protein that points to a solution for something science had no clear path to.

After 25 years of research, a team led by Tatiana Coelho de Sampaio, PhD professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, developed polylaminin, a protein-based drug derived from laminin that regenerates damaged nerve tissue. In the experimental phase, the treatment — applied directly to the spine — enabled patients with paraplegia and quadriplegia to make full recoveries, regaining movement without aftereffects and returning to unrestricted daily life. The discovery marks a historic leap in regenerative medicine and offers real hope for millions living with paralysis.