In a landmark achievement for medicine, researchers in Japan have taken a giant step toward rewriting what’s possible for spinal-cord injuries. In the country’s first-of-its-kind trial, a patient who was once paralyzed from the waist down has regained the ability to stand and move, thanks to a novel stem-cell therapy. The results mark a hopeful turning point for millions living with paralysis worldwide.
A Bold New Approach
The treatment, carried out by a team at Keio University in Tokyo, uses so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)—adult cells that scientists reprogram into a more primitive, flexible state, then direct to become neural stem/progenitor cells. These are then transplanted into the damaged spinal cord of patients who previously had complete paralysis below the injury site.
According to the published trial protocol, around two million of these iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells were injected into the injured spinal cord in patients within 14-28 days of their injury (sub-acute stage) under strict conditions to maximise safety.
The Results So Far
Out of four patients enrolled in the study, two showed clear signs of improvement in motor function. One of them was able to stand unaided and has begun walking practice. Another patient regained enough movement to feed himself.
Crucially, the treatment appears safe: no serious adverse effects were reported during the initial follow-up period of one year.
Why This Matters
Spinal cord injury has long been one of the toughest frontiers in medicine. When the spinal cord is severed or crushed, the pathways that connect brain to body are disrupted, and regeneration is extremely limited. Traditional treatments have focused on stabilising the injury and intensive physical therapy—but restoring lost nerve circuits has remained largely out of reach.
By reintroducing neural-stem cells into the injured site, this therapy aims not just to stabilise but to rebuild—reestablishing neural connections, remyelinating nerve fibres, and promoting tissue repair. The researchers describe it as shifting from “repair” to “regeneration”.
A Word of Caution
While the results are exciting, experts emphasise that this is still an early-stage trial, primarily designed to test safety rather than to prove effectiveness. The number of patients is small, and the improvements—though significant—vary among participants. Two of the four patients did not show major recovery.
Also, this treatment was applied in the sub-acute phase of injury (within about a month of the event). Whether it can help people with older, chronic injuries remains unknown.
What Comes Next
The team at Keio University and their collaborators hope to expand the trial—to include more patients, increase the number of transplanted cells, and eventually test those with chronic injuries. They also aim to refine cell-preparation methods, improve transplantation protocols, and scale up manufacturing to make the therapy more accessible.
If proven effective in larger trials, this therapy could open the door to a range of neurological conditions beyond spinal-cord injury—such as stroke recovery, neurodegenerative diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Parkinson’s disease—by harnessing the regenerative power of iPSCs.
For Millions, A New Hope
For individuals living with paralysis, every regained movement carries profound meaning—not just physically, but emotionally and socially. The ability to stand, to shift weight, to take a step forward, is more than a medical metric—it’s a portal to independence, dignity, and possibility.
This breakthrough shows that what was once deemed impossible may not be forever. It reminds us that resilience—both human and scientific—can combine to push the boundaries of biology itself.
Sources:
“Paralysed man can stand on his own after receiving an injection of neural stem cells” — Nature.
“Japanese scientists use stem-cell treatment to restore movement in patients with spinal cord injuries” — MedicalXpress.
Clinical trial registry: UMIN000035074, “Transplantation of iPSC-NS/PCs for sub-acute-stage spinal-cord injury”.
“Japan’s stem-cell success could change paralysis treatment worldwide” Interesting Engineering.