A 25-year UFRJ study developed polylaminin, a placenta-derived drug that shows promise in regenerating spinal cords.
The research, led by Professor Tatiana Coelho de Sampaio, head of the Extracellular Matrix Biology Laboratory at UFRJ’s Institute of Biomedical Sciences, showed that some patients regained partial or full movement after treatment.
Polylaminin works by rejuvenating mature neurons and stimulating the growth of new axons, which transmit electrical signals through the body. Applied directly to the spine, the drug produced effects within weeks during trials.
Volunteers Report Remarkable Recoveries
At a São Paulo presentation, volunteers reported major recoveries: Hawanna Cruz Ribeiro regained 70% trunk control, and Bruno Drummond de Freitas fully recovered mobility after paralysis.
- Patients experienced partial or full recovery of movement;
- Increased body sensitivity;
- No side effects reported;
- Positive outcomes also observed in animals like dogs and rats.
- Still, experts caution that it is too soon to confirm large-scale effectiveness.
When might the drug be released in Brazil?
The research is now pending approval from Anvisa (Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency) to move forward into larger-scale human clinical trials. Hospitals like Hospital das Clínicas and Santa Casa in São Paulo are already prepared to begin treatment once authorization is granted.
In the meantime, the scientific community remains hopeful yet cautious. Experts stress that scientific progress takes time, and although the results so far are promising, regulatory approval is essential before the therapy can become available to patients with spinal cord injuries.
Read the original article on: Cristalia
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