Treated pigs regained unsteady walking after spinal-cord cuts; untreated pigs stayed paralyzed

Three pigs that received a fusogen mixture after complete spinal cord transection regained the ability to walk unsteadily, recovered pelvic control and showed sensitivity to touch by the end of a 60-day study. Two untreated control pigs remained paralyzed throughout.

Researchers at the Sklifosovsky Institute for Emergency Medicine in Russia, led by Michael Lebenstein-Gumovski, performed the procedures.

They anesthetized the animals, removed the bony arch over the spinal cord, cooled the area for one minute and cut the cord in the mid-back region with a sharp blade. Three pigs then received injections and blood infusions of polyethylene glycol combined with chitosan at the injury site. All animals underwent twice-daily 20-minute electrostimulation of each limb plus anti-inflammatory drugs.

One treated pig moved a hind limb on day two and responded to pinpricks in parts of the hind legs. By day seven one attempted to stand. Histological analysis later showed reduced degeneration and axonal bridges across the lesion in the treated animals.

Melissa Andrews of the University of Southampton said the treated pigs recovered the ability to stand after injury and sense pinpricks in affected limbs. She noted the cooling step before cutting does not match most real-world injuries. Lebenstein-Gumovski said the team plans to repeat the experiment in larger groups with independent researchers from several countries before moving to human clinical studies.

Russia is scheduled to add the spinal cord to its list of authorized transplant tissues, with the law taking effect on 1 September 2026. Neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero, who contributed editorial input to the paper, stated the work is another key step toward brain transplants and claimed the first human surgeries testing spinal cord fusion protocols in people with paraplegia are scheduled for late 2026.