Ela errou um experimento no Rio em 2000 — e a molécula que nasceu dali vai a ensaio clínico contra a lesão medular

In 2000, a biologist works at a university in Rio. Her name is Tatiana Coelho-Sampaio. She wants to separate molecules of a protein.

But the molecules do the opposite. They join together in a net. Nobody makes this net before. She calls it polylaminin. This net helps nerves to grow again. In the spinal cord, nerves normally never do that. So doctors test it in a small group.

Eight patients enter the study. Five of them get some movement back. One of them improves a lot. But three patients die during the years, and the group is small.

Now the real test begins. Brazilian regulators say yes in January 2026. Five volunteers start the first official phase.