A team of Japanese researchers says two of four patients who received transplants of special stem cells showed recovered motor function in a clinical study to repair spinal cord injuries. The researchers from Keio University and other institutions said on Friday it was a world-first that treatment using cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, helped to improve the condition of these patients. The team transplanted two million iPS-derived cells into the four patients, who were unable to move. The degree of motor function recovery was examined one year later.

(Nakamura Masaya / Professor, Keio University) “We could verify the treatment's safety. That's very important. We'd like to press ahead with preparations to put the system into practical use.”

There are about 5,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries every year in Japan. The researchers say they plan to conduct a clinical trial to obtain government approval for the iPS treatment.