Swiss Researchers Discover Antibody That Helps Restore Nerve Connections After Spinal Injury
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team May 13, 2026 55 minutes ago
Medical News: A groundbreaking new therapy is offering fresh hope to people living with devastating spinal cord injuries. Scientists from the University of Zurich and Balgrist University Hospital, working with international collaborators, have uncovered how a novel antibody treatment called NG101 helps damaged nerve fibers regrow and reconnect after spinal cord trauma.
New NG101 antibody therapy helps damaged spinal cord nerves regrow and reconnect, raising hope for paralysis recovery
The research is especially important because spinal cord injuries, often caused by sports accidents, falls, or road crashes, can leave patients partially or completely paralyzed. Many victims lose the ability to move their arms or legs independently, dramatically changing their lives forever.
Antibody Targets a Major Barrier to Healing
The treatment works by blocking a protein known as Nogo-A. This protein naturally exists in the protective sheaths surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. While it normally helps stabilize nerve networks, it also prevents damaged nerves from regenerating after injury.
Researchers at the University of Zurich first discovered Nogo-A nearly three decades ago. NG101 was specifically designed to neutralize this protein and remove the “stop signal” that prevents nerve fibers from growing back. By lifting this biological barrier, injured nerves gain a better chance of repairing themselves and rebuilding communication pathways between the brain and muscles.
MRI Scans Reveal Visible Healing
The newest study has now provided the clearest evidence yet that the therapy physically changes the spinal cord structure itself.
Using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers monitored 106 patients with acute cervical spinal cord injuries who participated in the phase 2b NISCI clinical trial. The scans showed that patients treated with NG101 experienced faster shrinking of spinal cord lesions compared to those receiving a placebo.
Even more importantly, the antibody appeared to slow the ongoing destruction of nerve tissue that typically follows spinal cord trauma. At the same time, signs of new nerve fiber growth were detected.
Professor Patrick Freund, head of the Spinal Cord Injury Center at Balgrist University Hospital, explained that the findings finally allowed scientists to directly observe how the therapy works inside the injured spinal cord.
The MRI data also showed preservation of critical nerve pathways, including the corticospinal tracts and dorsal columns, which are essential for movement and sensory function.
Restoring Communication Between Brain and Muscles
One of the most exciting discoveries was evidence that regenerated nerve fibers were reconnecting with spinal cord centers responsible for controlling the arms, hands, and legs.
These restored pathways may allow signals from the brain to once again reach muscles that had lost communication after injury. For some patients, this could translate into
meaningful recovery of hand and arm function, something considered life-changing for individuals with paralysis.
Animal studies had previously hinted at this possibility, but this
Medical News report highlights that researchers have now observed similar structural repair processes in human patients for the first time.
Scientists also found that combining MRI scans with electrophysiological tests such as somatosensory evoked potentials helped identify which patients responded best to the therapy. This could make future clinical trials more accurate and efficient.
A Major Step Toward Better Spinal Cord Treatments
The findings suggest that NG101 not only protects surviving nerve tissue but may also encourage the sprouting of entirely new nerve connections. Researchers believe this dual action could significantly improve recovery outcomes if treatment is administered early after injury.
The international team says the ability to objectively visualize spinal cord repair opens the door for more targeted therapies in the future. Doctors may eventually be able to identify which patients are most likely to benefit and monitor healing in real time.
The study involved researchers from the University of Zurich, Balgrist University Hospital, and collaborating international spinal cord injury research centers participating in the multinational NISCI trial.
The conclusions of the study are especially encouraging because they demonstrate that spinal cord damage may not be as irreversible as once believed. By reducing ongoing degeneration while simultaneously promoting nerve regeneration and reconnection, NG101 could become one of the first therapies capable of meaningfully restoring function after severe spinal trauma.
Researchers caution that more studies are still needed, but the results represent a major milestone in neuroregenerative medicine.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Nature Communications.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71412-0
For the latest on nerve regeneration studies, keep on logging to Thailand
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