There is currently no way to completely reverse the damage and paralysis that results from a spinal cord injury. Now, researchers have developed a biomedical structure that has given impressive functional recovery to lab rats with severed spinal cords. “This method creates a relay system that when placed in the spinal cord, bypasses the damaged area.”Han and his colleagues transplanted the scaffolds into rats with severed spinal cords. With time, the researchers observed the new neurons completely merge with the rats’ spinal cord tissue. “Our laboratory is excited to explore the future potential of our ‘mini spinal cords’ for clinical translation.”While the achievement is far from mending broken backs in humans, it’s a positive development toward finally healing spinal cord injuries.