Regaining the ability to walk after a spinal cord injury is often considered a medical miracle, but new research may soon make it a more common occurrence. After receiving stem cells that had been “reprogrammed,” a man who was paralyzed following a spinal cord injury can now stand on his own. This surprising development is the result of a groundbreaking trial led by Keio University stem-cell scientist Hideyuki Okano, in Tokyo, Japan.
This unprecedented study sought to treat four paralyzed individuals using reprogrammed stem cells. Though two individuals from the group did not appear to have any substantial improvement, the other two’s results are promising, and have excited researchers in the field since its announcement at a press conference on March 21.
The Keio University trials used reprogrammed, or induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells. The iPS stem cells are adult cells that have been reverted to an embryonic-like state, wherein they can be manipulated into other types depending on the need. The intention was to coax the iPS stem cells into neural precursor cells, with the hope that they would eventually become neurons and neuroglia to support nervous system recovery.
Patients in the study received an injection of 2 million iPS-turned-neural precursor cells into their injury site. The first surgery occurred in December 2021, and the remaining three were performed between 2022 and 2023. All recipients were adult males and had their surgeries anywhere between two and four weeks after they suffered spinal cord injuries. Recipients were prescribed immune-suppressing drugs for six months after their surgeries to prevent their bodies from rejecting the cells.
The trial results reported no serious adverse effects in the one-year checkup for the study participants. All treatment recipients began the study with the highest injury classification according to the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS), which is classification A. While two individuals did not see a change in their movement or feeling, the third moved to classification C (can move some of their arm and leg muscles, but cannot stand by themselves).
The final participant that can stand independently was moved up to classification D, just one level below what the AIS considers normal function (classification E). This individual is now training to walk, a miraculous development that very well may be because of this pioneering trial.
Okano and his team plan to submit the results of their study for publication, and the hope is that these trials can be replicated at a larger scale to gauge efficacy and specificity of this treatment. This early success signals a potential breakthrough in spinal cord injury treatment, offering renewed hope. While the study itself has not yet been peer-reviewed, it suggests that this method of treatment, which has been used in previous related trials, is a safe avenue to continue research.
James St John, a translational neuroscientist at Griffith University in Australia, says this is “a great positive outcome. It’s very exciting for the field.” It is likely that larger-scale trials will need to take place to confirm correlation between the specific stem cells treatment and the improvements observed in the current study. If the research continues to advance positively, these findings could have enormous impacts for people suffering from spinal cord injuries.
A paralyzed man can now stand on his own and is learning to walk again following a breakthrough treatment using reprogrammed stem cells.
The treatment was part of a trial conducted by medical researchers in Tokyo, who also treated three more individuals and saw improved feeling and mobility in one of them.
Although the study has not yet been peer-reviewed, it confirms that the method of treatment, which was used in previous related studies, is safe.
The study’s results have caused quite a stir in the field since they were announced in late March 2025, and larger studies will hopefully advance the research in a positive direction.
Sources: Paralysed man stands again after receiving ‘reprogrammed’ stem cells
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