Six pregnant women agreed to be part of a world first. Their unborn children had been diagnosed with **myelomeningocele** — the most severe form of spina bifida, a condition where the spinal cord fails to close properly and protrudes through the spine, causing lifelong neurological damage.
The standard treatment is fetal surgery: surgeons operate on the baby in the womb, closing the spinal opening to prevent further nerve damage. It is already a remarkable procedure. But surgeons at the **University of California, Davis** thought they could do better.
Why just protect the spinal cord — when you might be able to repair it?
The results, published in ***The Lancet*** in February 2026, are extraordinary.
## The World's First In-Utero Stem Cell Therapy
During the standard fetal surgery, the surgical team added a crucial new step: they applied a **patch containing placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PMSCs)** directly onto the exposed spinal cord before closing the opening.
These stem cells — harvested from the mother's own placenta — are known for their ability to reduce inflammation, promote tissue healing, and protect nerve cells. Applying them directly at the site of spinal cord injury, in the most critical window of fetal development, was the key hypothesis of the **CuRe Trial** (Cellular Therapy for In-Utero Repair of Myelomeningocele).
The cells were applied in the form of a bioengineered patch that could adhere to the delicate fetal tissues without causing harm. The surgery was performed on six fetuses between July 2021 and December 2022.
## The Results
When the babies were born and examined, the findings were remarkable:
- **All six infants** had their **hindbrain herniation reversed** — a serious brain abnormality characteristic of spina bifida, confirmed by post-birth MRI scans - **None of the babies** required a shunt for hydrocephalus before hospital discharge — one of the most common and serious complications of spina bifida - **No serious adverse events**: no infections, no abnormal tissue growth, no tumour formation in mothers or babies - **All spinal repairs remained intact**
And crucially, the children are doing well. **One participant, now four years old**, can walk — and does not have the bladder and bowel control problems typically associated with myelomeningocele.
## What This Changes
Fetal surgery for spina bifida has been available since the landmark 2011 MOMS trial, which proved that in-utero closure significantly outperformed surgery after birth. But even with optimal fetal surgery, many children with myelomeningocele still experience significant disability: mobility limitations, hydrocephalus, loss of bladder and bowel control.
The CuRe Trial's approach shifts the goal from *neuroprotection* — simply preventing further damage — to *neuroregeneration*: actively healing the injured spinal cord.
The lead researcher, **Dr. Diana Farmer** at UC Davis Children's Hospital, called the results encouraging and said the approach could transform fetal repair. The FDA has approved the enrolment of additional pregnant women for Phase 2 of the trial.
Spina bifida affects approximately **1 in 1,000 pregnancies worldwide** — around 166,000 new cases each year globally. A therapy that not only prevents further neurological damage but actively regenerates the spinal cord would represent one of the most significant advances in paediatric medicine in a generation.
For the six families in this trial — and the millions of families that may follow — those six healthy babies are everything. 💙
*Sources: The Lancet (February 2026) · UC Davis Health · UC Davis Engineering · The Guardian · Singularity Hub · EurekAlert (Feb 2026) · ClinicalTrials.gov*
