Paralyzed Rats Walk Again: Implant Breakthrough & Human Hope
- Auckland, New Zealand - A new trial at the University of Auckland offers hope for treating spinal cord injuries, which currently have no cure.
- Spinal cord injuries disrupt interaction between the brain and body, often resulting in loss of function.
- Scientists are exploring the use of electrical fields,which play a crucial role in nervous system development,to encourage nerve tissue growth along the spinal cord.
Hope emerges for spinal cord injury recovery! New research reveals an electric field treatment shows significant promise. Scientists are using implantable devices to stimulate nerve regeneration, a potential breakthrough for spinal cord repair. Animal studies demonstrate that rats,after daily treatment with controlled electrical currents,experienced improved movement and sensation.Notably, there was no inflammation or damage. Professor Maria Asplund from Chalmers University of technology highlights the long-term goal: turning this technology into a medical device. this research offers exciting proof of concept. Find this at news Directory 3. Discover what’s next regarding treatment doses and effective repair methods.
Electric Field Treatment Shows Promise for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery
updated June 29, 2025
Auckland, New Zealand – A new trial at the University of Auckland offers hope for treating spinal cord injuries, which currently have no cure. The research focuses on using an implantable electronic device to stimulate nerve regeneration.
Spinal cord injuries disrupt interaction between the brain and body, often resulting in loss of function. Dr. Bruce Harland,lead researcher and senior research fellow at the University of Auckland‘s School of Pharmacy,noted the spinal cord’s limited ability to heal itself,making these injuries notably devastating.The study, a collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, was published in Nature Communications.
Scientists are exploring the use of electrical fields,which play a crucial role in nervous system development,to encourage nerve tissue growth along the spinal cord. The implanted device delivers a controlled electrical current to the injury site.
Professor Darren Svirskis, director of the CatWalk Cure Program at the University’s School of Pharmacy, said the goal is to stimulate healing, helping patients regain functions lost due to spinal cord injury. Rats, which have a greater capacity for spontaneous recovery than humans, were used to compare natural healing with healing supported by electrical stimulation.
After four weeks,rats receiving daily electric field treatment showed improved movement compared to those without the treatment. Throughout the 12-week study, they also responded more quickly to gentle touch.
“This indicates that the treatment supported recovery of both movement and sensation,” Harland said. “just as importantly, our analysis confirmed that the treatment did not cause inflammation or other damage to the spinal cord, demonstrating that it was not only effective but also safe.”
professor Maria Asplund, of Chalmers University of Technology, said the long-term goal is to transform the technology into a medical device to benefit people living with life-changing spinal cord injuries.
“This study offers an exciting proof of concept showing that electric field treatment can support recovery after spinal cord injury,” said Lukas Matter, a doctoral student from Chalmers University.
What’s next
Researchers plan to investigate different treatment doses, including strength, frequency, and duration, to determine the most effective approach for spinal cord repair and spinal cord injury treatment.