Researchers at Northwestern University have come up with a nano-engineered gel that has been shown to curb the formation of scar tissue at the site of spinal injuries, thereby allowing the spinal chord fibers to regenerate. The gel has to be injected into the spinal chord as a liquid, which then turns into a scaffold, supporting the new nerve fibers.

European researchers have offered new hope for quadriplegics (people paralyzed from the neck down) through a technology that uses brain signals to control computers, artificial limbs and even wheelchairs. Quadriplegic patients, who are paralyzed neck down due to spinal injuries or neurodegenerative diseases, can now be independent to some degree due to this new type of brain computer interface that is non-intrusive.

This new type of non-intrusive brain-computer interface, or BCI, has been developed by the MAIA project. So far, the team, led by the IDIAP Research Institute in Switzerland, has carried out a series of successful trials in which users have been able to manoeuvre a wheelchair around obstacles and people using brainpower alone.