The world’s first spinal cord transplant has been performed in Russia

Check your subscription status, update your details and more. The world’s first spinal cord transplant has been performed in Russia A surgeon has told New Scientist they have performed a transplant on someone with a complete spinal cord injury using a piece of spinal cord from a brain-dead donor, but researchers have raised concerns The recipient had a complete spinal cord injury, which usually causes paralysis below the site of injury The world’s first human spinal cord transplant has been carried out in Russia. This is said to have involved removing a damaged segment of a person’s spinal cord, three years after the injury, and replacing it with a section from a brain-dead donor.

Although the recipient is said to be doing well, the operation has drawn concern from some researchers, who question whether it will work and are concerned that it may even leave the individual worse off. Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with _New Scientist_ events and special offers. #### Mind ### Brain implant lets people with paralysis speak and gesture at the same time News #### Technology ### Brain implant lets man with paralysis fly a virtual drone by thought News #### Health ### Mind-controlled robotic arm lets people with paralysis touch and feel News #### Health ### People with paralysis navigate a room via a mind-controlled wheelchair News The controversial legacy of a ‘male’ theory of autism### 1 in 4 cases of depression may be caused by off-kilter body clocks### Discovery of T. rex’s cousin upends our understanding of tyrannosaur evolution### Parasite-infected mosquitoes released in Europe for first time### Hannah Fry: How OpenAI has caused an existential crisis in mathematics### 1000 human mathematicians pledge to shun AI in their research### We’re finally learning what happens to gifted children in adulthood### Are we about to solve the greatest mystery of the neutrino?### Archaeologists are uncovering the meaning of a unique rock art site### The roots of AI fear in the West are cultural, not technological We and our partners use cookies and other technologies to collect user data .