The Business of Biofabrication

Israel is preparing for a medical first for regenerative medicine: the world’s first human spinal cord implant grown entirely from a patient’s own cells. Tel Aviv University announced that the groundbreaking surgery is expected to take place within months, offering hope that paralyzed patients may one day stand and walk again.

Why It Matters

Spinal cord injuries affect more than 15 million people globally and currently have no curative treatment. Existing care focuses on stabilizing the spine and maximizing function through therapy and assistive devices, but it cannot repair the severed nerve connections that cause paralysis.

Professor Tal Dvir, who leads the effort at Tel Aviv’s Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology and also serves as chief scientist at Matricelf, compares a damaged spinal cord to a cut electrical cable: once the signal path is broken, movement below the injury is lost.

The Process

• The procedure begins with a small biopsy of the patient’s omentum tissue, collected through an abdominal incision.
• This tissue is processed through a proprietary decellularization step, yielding a thermo-responsive hydrogel.
• Separately, the patient’s mature cells are reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
• Within the hydrogel, the iPSCs undergo ex-vivo differentiation to form a functional, patient-specific neural implant capable of bridging injured spinal tissue and reconnecting the nervous system.

Animal studies have shown dramatic outcomes, with rats regaining normal walking ability. Earlier research from Dvir’s lab, published in Advanced Science, validated the concept and paved the way for human application.

Regulatory Green Light and Market Potential

Israel’s Ministry of Health has granted “compassionate use” approval for an initial trial in eight patients, positioning Israel as the first country to attempt such a procedure. CEO Gil Hakim notes, “If successful, this therapy could define a new standard of care,” pointing to a multi-billion-dollar market in spinal cord repair.

Biofabrication Takeaway

This milestone exemplifies the power of patient-specific regenerative medicine: proprietary hydrogels, autologous stem cells, and translational clinical strategy converging to address a condition long considered untreatable. If the upcoming trial succeeds, it will not only be a triumph for regenerative medicine but also a landmark moment for the global biofabrication industry—demonstrating how personalized, engineered tissues can move from lab to bedside.

About Matricelf

Founded in 2019 as a spin-out from Tel Aviv University’s technology transfer arm (Ramot), Matricelf specializes in patient-specific regenerative therapies built from autologous (patient-derived) cells and custom biomaterial scaffolds. The company’s platform reprograms adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells and combines them with proprietary hydrogels to engineer complex tissues—including spinal cord constructs, cartilage, and other soft tissues.

Matricelf’s business model blends academic innovation with clinical translation: it holds exclusive licenses for the university’s core patents and is advancing multiple pipelines targeting neurological injuries and degenerative diseases. The company is publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and aims to bring first-in-human implants to market in the next several years, positioning itself as a leader in personalized regenerative medicine.