WANA (Nov 03) – Spinal cord injury is among the most severe and costly medical conditions, affecting over 2,500 people in Iran each year—equivalent to roughly 4 in every 10,000 individuals, mostly due to traffic accidents. Now, a team of Iranian researchers in neuroscience and tissue engineering has taken a major step forward in treating this condition by combining nanotechnology with plant-derived compounds.

 

In this pioneering project, scientists used a biological scaffold derived from the spinal tissue of another animal to reconstruct and repair spinal cord injuries in laboratory rats. The scaffold was enhanced with plant-based nanoparticles that provide anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties, promoting tissue healing in the damaged area.

 

One of the researchers explained: “By integrating tissue engineering and nanotechnology, we designed a scaffold that, once implanted in the injured site, significantly reduced the effects of spinal injury. Behavioral tests, including the standard BBB locomotor test, showed that the treated rats’ movement improved remarkably, approaching that of healthy rats.”

Iranian Researchers Climb World’s Top 2% List . Social media/ WANA News Agency

Iranian Researchers . Social media/ WANA News Agency

This achievement, identified as a strategic and high-priority biomedical innovation, marks a crucial milestone in Iran’s advancement toward self-sufficiency in regenerative medicine. While countries such as Canada and Germany have been developing similar neural scaffolds, Iran has distinguished itself in the Middle East by creating an indigenous, plant-based nanoscaffold technology.

 

Currently, biological scaffolds are being used in operating rooms to repair bone tissue, and researchers hope that once human trials succeed, this new spinal scaffold will bring new hope to patients suffering from spinal cord injuries—opening a new chapter in the treatment of one of the most complex disorders of the nervous system.