Researchers at Northwestern University have created the most sophisticated lab grown model of human spinal cord injury so far.

In the new study, scientists worked with human spinal cord organoids grown from stem cells. These miniature, simplified versions of the spinal cord allowed the team to recreate different forms of spinal cord trauma and evaluate a promising regenerative treatment.

For the first time, the organoids closely reproduced the major features of spinal cord injury seen in people. That included widespread cell death, inflammation, and glial scarring. Glial scars are thick clusters of scar tissue that form after injury and create both physical and chemical barriers that block nerve repair.

When the damaged organoids were treated with “dancing molecules” — a therapy that previously reversed paralysis and repaired tissue in animal studies — the results were striking. The injured tissue produced significant neurite outgrowth, meaning the long extensions of neurons began growing again. Scar like tissue was greatly reduced. The findings strengthen hopes that the treatment, which recently received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), could improve recovery for people living with spinal cord injuries.