In what could be a major advance in the treatment of paralysis, researchers say they have developed a technique for partially regenerating the adult spinal cord.

Although limited to laboratory rats so far, the feat may accelerate progress toward the Holy Grail of spinal cord research--the ability to regenerate damaged nerve tissue, experts said.

Doctors working at Sweden's Karolinska Institute with laboratory rats reported they could bridge a complete break in the spinal cord, which carries signals from the brain to the rest of the body. Rats who received grafts of neurons and drugs that stimulate their growth regained enough use of their hind legs to stand and take some halting steps.