Michelle Johnson's son Tobi was diagnosed with spina bifida before he was born. She chose to take part in a clinical trial. Now, she says, he is 'nothing short of a miracle'.
"Our family couldn't feel more blessed. Tobi's physical and mental abilities are nothing short of a miracle."
Tobi was born in 2022. Before his birth, surgeons opened the womb, repaired his damaged spinal cord — and, for the first time in medical history, applied living stem cells taken from his mother's placenta directly to the exposed spine.
The results of this Phase 1 trial, called the CuRe Trial (Cellular Therapy for In Utero Repair of Myelomeningocele), have now been published in *The Lancet* — and the findings are extraordinary.
**What Spina Bifida Does**
Myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, occurs when a baby's spinal cord is not properly enclosed during development, leaving nerves exposed and damaged. It causes lifelong disabilities — paralysis, bowel and bladder problems, and often a brain complication called hindbrain herniation, where the brain is pulled down into the spinal canal, typically requiring a shunt to drain excess fluid.
For decades, surgeons have been able to repair the spinal defect in the womb — better outcomes than post-birth surgery. But the tissue damage remained. The stem cells in this trial were added to attempt something more: actual healing.
**What Happened**
Six pregnant women with fetuses diagnosed with myelomeningocele participated between 2021 and 2022. During standard fetal surgery, the team from UC Davis Health applied placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PMSCs) directly to the exposed spinal cord.
The results in all six children:
- **Hindbrain herniation reversed** in every infant — a complication that normally persists and requires ongoing management - **Zero shunts required** before hospital discharge — none of the babies needed the standard procedure to drain excess brain fluid - **No adverse effects** from the stem cells — no infections, leaks, or abnormal tissue growth
"This paves the way for new treatment options for children with birth defects," said Diana Farmer, chair of UC Davis's Department of Surgery, which led the trial.
Aijun Wang, co-inventor of the treatment, described it as "a major step toward a new kind of fetal therapy."
Shine, the UK's leading spina bifida charity, called the results "very exciting."
**What Comes Next**
This was a Phase 1 trial — designed first to prove safety, which it did definitively. The CuRe Trial is now enrolling more patients for its Phase 1/2a study. The children who participated will be followed until age six to track long-term outcomes for mobility, bladder, and bowel function.
And Tobi? He's three years old, and according to his mum, he's doing things nobody predicted he would.
Science began with six mothers who said yes. Now a new generation of children may walk because they did. 🩺
*Sources: UC Davis Health · The Lancet · The Guardian · CuRe Trial*
