A recent report from the World Health Organization, WHO, estimates that approximately 15 million people worldwide live with spinal cord injuries. The spinal cord is made up of numerous nerve fibers that transmit signals between the brain and the rest of the body. When damaged, the connection between the brain and body is shattered, often resulting in loss of sensation and function, and in severe cases, paralysis.

“Unlike a skin wound, which typically heals on its own, the spinal cord does not regenerate effectively, making these injuries devastating and currently incurable,” says Maria Asplund, Professor of Bioelectronics at Chalmers University of Technology.

She is, together with Darren Svirskis, University of Auckland, senior author of a study recently published in Nature Communications.