More than 8,000 runners across 19 organised App Runs in India came together for the Wings for Life World Run 2026, a global initiative supported by Red Bull dedicated to spinal cord injury research and rehabilitation. Among the standout events in India was the Mumbai Organised App Run held at Gargi Plaza inside KJ Somaiya Campus, Vidyavihar, Ghatkopar, where over 1,100 participants turned up to run for a cause bigger than themselves, ‘Running for those who can’t’.&nbsp;Held simultaneously around the world, the run started at 4:30 pm IST, with participants joining both on-ground and virtually through the Wings for Life World Run app. The event welcomed runners from different age groups and backgrounds, including specially-abled participants, reinforcing the inclusive spirit of the initiative. Far beyond a competitive race, the Wings for Life World Run evolved into a celebration of community, hope and togetherness. Participants cheered for strangers, runners danced to music along the route, and volunteers supported wheelchair athletes throughout the event.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wpl-winner-shabnim-ismail-reverses-retirement-to-make-south-africa-women-t20-world-cup-squad-2026-1778587956838">WPL winner Shabnim Ismail reverses retirement to make SA’s Women’s T20 World Cup squad</a>&nbsp;Globally, the Wings for Life World Run 2026 recorded 346,527 officially registered participants from 192 nationalities across 173 countries. The event featured seven flagship run locations and 648 organised App Runs across 73 countries, while thousands of others participated independently worldwide. The 2026 edition raised an impressive €69.7 million, with 100 per cent of the proceeds directed toward spinal cord injury treatment and advanced research.&nbsp;Japan’s Jo Fukuda emerged victorious in the men’s category after covering 78.95km in Fukuoka, while Mikky Keetels topped the women’s standings with 62.24km in Breda, Netherlands. In India, Samrat Putatunda claimed the men’s title with a distance of 33.11km in Kolkata, while Urmila Bane won the women’s category in Mumbai after completing 18.04km.&nbsp;“Wings for Life World Run is a great initiative. We all run for those who can’t. It’s not just a normal run but a whole experience where people are dancing while running to music and cheering each other constantly,” said Ankit Panth, one of India’s most popular gaming professionals and a Red Bull Player, who participated in the Mumbai run. Adding further prestige to the event was Colin Jackson, the two-time world champion and Olympic silver medallist in the 110m hurdles, who serves as the International Sports Director for the Wings for Life World Run.

Over 8,000 runners across India participated in the Wings for Life World Run 2026 organised by Red Bull, supporting spinal cord injury research while joining 346,000+ participants globally

More than 8,000 runners across 19 organised App Runs in India came together for the Wings for Life World Run 2026, a global initiative supported by Red Bull dedicated to spinal cord injury research and rehabilitation. Among the standout events in India was the Mumbai Organised App Run held at Gargi Plaza inside KJ Somaiya Campus, Vidyavihar, Ghatkopar, where over 1,100 participants turned up to run for a cause bigger than themselves, ‘Running for those who can’t’. Held simultaneously around the world, the run started at 4:30 pm IST, with participants joining both on-ground and virtually through the Wings for Life World Run app. The event welcomed runners from different age groups and backgrounds, including specially-abled participants, reinforcing the inclusive spirit of the initiative. Far beyond a competitive race, the Wings for Life World Run evolved into a celebration of community, hope and togetherness. Participants cheered for strangers, runners danced to music along the route, and volunteers supported wheelchair athletes throughout the event. Also Read: WPL winner Shabnim Ismail reverses retirement to make SA’s Women’s T20 World Cup squad Globally, the Wings for Life World Run 2026 recorded 346,527 officially registered participants from 192 nationalities across 173 countries. The event featured seven flagship run locations and 648 organised App Runs across 73 countries, while thousands of others participated independently worldwide. The 2026 edition raised an impressive €69.7 million, with 100 per cent of the proceeds directed toward spinal cord injury treatment and advanced research. Japan’s Jo Fukuda emerged victorious in the men’s category after covering 78.95km in Fukuoka, while Mikky Keetels topped the women’s standings with 62.24km in Breda, Netherlands. In India, Samrat Putatunda claimed the men’s title with a distance of 33.11km in Kolkata, while Urmila Bane won the women’s category in Mumbai after completing 18.04km. “Wings for Life World Run is a great initiative. We all run for those who can’t. It’s not just a normal run but a whole experience where people are dancing while running to music and cheering each other constantly,” said Ankit Panth, one of India’s most popular gaming professionals and a Red Bull Player, who participated in the Mumbai run. Adding further prestige to the event was Colin Jackson, the two-time world champion and Olympic silver medallist in the 110m hurdles, who serves as the International Sports Director for the Wings for Life World Run.

More than 8,000 runners across India joined the Wings for Life World Run 2026, raising hope and funds for spinal cord injury research

Jo Fukuda, Mikky Keetels shine at Wings for Life World Run 2026; Samrat Putatunda, Urmila Bane star for India

In the first clinical trial of its kind, a Japanese university said Friday it successfully transplanted stem cells into a patient with spinal cord damage.

As of today, there are no effective treatments available for paralysis caused by serious spinal cord injuries, which affects more than 100,000 people in Japan alone.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/researcher-says-insomnia-is-remnant-of-biphasic-sleep-not-a-disorder-443715" hreflang="en">Researcher says insomnia is remnant of biphasic sleep, not a disorder</a>

To treat the injuries, surgeons at Keio University in Tokyo are looking into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

iPS cells are created by stimulating mature, already specialised cells back into a juvenile state.

They can then be prompted to mature into different kinds of cells, with the Keio University study using iPS-derived cells of the neural stem.

Over two million iPS-derived cells were implanted into a patient's spinal cord last month as the first step in the trial.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/western-diet-responsible-for-global-rise-of-autoimmune-diseases-say-researchers-443537" hreflang="en">Western diet responsible for global rise of autoimmune diseases, say researchers</a>

"This is definitely a huge step forward," Masaya Nakamura, a Keio University professor who heads the research, told reporters.

He noted that there is still "a lot of work to be done" before the treatment can be used.

In the first stage of the study, the researchers will confirm the safety of the transplant method.

An independent committee will monitor the patient for up to three months to determine whether the study can continue and other patients can receive transplants.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Pig's heart transplanted into a human

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-pigs-heart-transplanted-into-a-human-444001/embed" width="560"></iframe>

In addition, the team hopes to determine if stem cell implants improve neurological function and quality of life.

The university received government approval for the trial in 2019, but recruitment was temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team is focusing on patients who were injured from 14 to 28 days before their operation; however, patient information remains confidential.

After safety experiments were conducted on animals, the researchers were able to determine the number of cells they would implant. They cautioned that although they would monitor for therapeutic effects, the primary objective was to study the safety of injecting the cells.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the first clinical trial of its kind, a Japanese university said Friday it successfully transplanted stem cells into a patient with spinal cord damage. As of today, there are no effective treatments available for paralysis caused by serious spinal cord injuries, which affects more than 100,000 people in Japan alone.

In the first clinical trial of its kind, a Japanese university said Friday it successfully transplanted stem cells into a patient with spinal cord damage. As of today, there are no effective treatments available for paralysis caused by serious spinal cord injuries, which affects more than 100,000 people in Japan alone. Also read | Researcher says insomnia is remnant of biphasic sleep, not a disorder To treat the injuries, surgeons at Keio University in Tokyo are looking into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. iPS cells are created by stimulating mature, already specialised cells back into a juvenile state. They can then be prompted to mature into different kinds of cells, with the Keio University study using iPS-derived cells of the neural stem. Over two million iPS-derived cells were implanted into a patient's spinal cord last month as the first step in the trial. Also read | Western diet responsible for global rise of autoimmune diseases, say researchers "This is definitely a huge step forward," Masaya Nakamura, a Keio University professor who heads the research, told reporters. He noted that there is still "a lot of work to be done" before the treatment can be used. In the first stage of the study, the researchers will confirm the safety of the transplant method. An independent committee will monitor the patient for up to three months to determine whether the study can continue and other patients can receive transplants. Watch | Gravitas: Pig's heart transplanted into a human In addition, the team hopes to determine if stem cell implants improve neurological function and quality of life. The university received government approval for the trial in 2019, but recruitment was temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team is focusing on patients who were injured from 14 to 28 days before their operation; however, patient information remains confidential. After safety experiments were conducted on animals, the researchers were able to determine the number of cells they would implant. They cautioned that although they would monitor for therapeutic effects, the primary objective was to study the safety of injecting the cells. (With inputs from agencies)

Japan carries out world-first spinal cord stem cell trial; a possible cure for spinal injury-related paralysis

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Jo Fukuda, Mikky Keetels shine at Wings for Life World Run 2026; Samrat Putatunda, Urmila Bane star for India

Japan carries out world-first spinal cord stem cell trial; a possible cure for spinal injury-related paralysis