Two patients with complete spinal cord injuries showed resumption of sensations and small movements two weeks after receiving polilaminina injections by court order. The substance, developed by UFRJ researchers, is in the pre-clinical phase and awaits Anvisa approval for larger-scale human trials.
Researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), led by biologist Tatiana Coelho de Sampaio, reported progress in two cases of patients with total spinal cord injuries. Both received polilaminina, a substance derived from human placenta, two weeks ago, authorized by court decisions.
Luiz Fernando Mozer, 37, suffered an injury in a motocross accident in early December in Cachoeiro do Itapemirim (ES). Less than 48 hours after the application, he felt touches on his lower limbs. In a December 29 evaluation, he contracted thigh and anal region muscles, expanding sensitivity.
The second patient, 35 years old, became paraplegic after a motorcycle fall and received treatment at a Rio de Janeiro hospital. He made a slight foot movement and registered leg sensitivity in recent tests.
Neurosurgeon Bruno Alexandre Côrtes, from Hospital Municipal Souza Aguiar in Rio, performed the procedures and stated: "I operated on the young man and saw a complete transection of the spinal cord. There was no chance of this patient having any movement or sensitivity under normal conditions. The only explanation is polilaminina."
Tatiana Coelho de Sampaio highlighted: "We have no doubts that polilaminina acted and that the patients' spinal cords are responding to the treatment. But now, we need to protect people. We need to work within the clinical study for data collection and control."
Polilaminina showed promising results in pre-clinical tests, such as in the case of Bruno Drummond de Freitas, 31, who regained movements after application 24 hours post-accident and five months of physiotherapy. However, Anvisa is still evaluating the transition to the clinical phase, prioritizing safety, as per the agency's note on data submitted by Cristália laboratory on December 19.
Physiatrist Marcelo Ares from AACD emphasized the rarity of recoveries in complete injuries and the need to distinguish drug effects from natural regeneration. The substance is applied only to recent injuries, within 72 hours, and requires intensive rehabilitation. So far, three out of four court orders have been executed, with costs shared among volunteers, public authorities, and Cristália, patent holder with UFRJ.