Lab-Grown Human Spinal Cord Shows Healing After Injury in Major Breakthrough: Study - Video

Scientists at Northwestern University have developed one of the most advanced lab-grown models yet for studying human spinal cord injury, offering new hope for regenerative therapies.

The study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, used human spinal cord organoids — miniature, stem cell–derived versions of the spinal cord — to recreate different types of traumatic injury. For the first time, researchers showed that these organoids can accurately mimic the key biological features of spinal cord injury, including cell death, inflammation, and glial scarring. Glial scars form a dense barrier that blocks nerve repair and is a major reason why paralysis is often permanent.

The team, led by Samuel I. Stupp, also tested an experimental therapy known as “dancing molecules.” This treatment consists of supramolecular therapeutic peptides that self-assemble into a nanofiber scaffold resembling the spinal cord’s natural structure. The molecules are designed to move dynamically, allowing them to interact more effectively with constantly shifting cell receptors.

When injured organoids were treated with fast-moving dancing molecules, the results were striking. Researchers observed significant neurite outgrowth — meaning damaged neurons began extending new projections again — along with a major reduction in scar-like tissue. Slower-moving versions of the molecules were far less effective.

In earlier animal studies, a single injection of the therapy enabled paralyzed mice to regain the ability to walk within weeks. The treatment has since received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The researchers believe these organoids could accelerate therapy testing in human tissue without immediate reliance on clinical trials. Future work will focus on modeling chronic injuries and potentially developing personalized regenerative treatments using patients’ own stem cells.

REFERENCE: Nozomu Takata, Zhiwei Li, Anna Metlushko, Feng Chen, Nicholas A. Sather, Xinyi Lin, Matthew J. Schipma, Oscar A. Carballo-Molina, Cassandre Jamroz, Madison E. Strong, Cara S. Smith, Yang Yang, Ching M. Wai, Neha Joshi, Jack Kolberg-Edelbrock, Kyle J. Gray, Suitu Wang, Liam C. Palmer, Samuel I. Stupp. Injury and therapy in a human spinal cord organoid. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2026; DOI: 10.1038/s41551-025-01606-2