Spina bifida is a congenital condition where irreversible spinal cord damage occurs before birth. Fetal surgery improves outcomes but treatment earlier in pregnancy could provide more efficacy. Fetal surgery is also limited to select patients and is invasive to the mother and fetus. We have demonstrated safety and efficacy of a particle-based fetal treatment for spina bifida in a rat model. This therapy could be offered more broadly, earlier in pregnancy and would be less invasive to mothers. The next step toward clinical translation requires larger animal study and to clarify the regulatory steps required prior to a clinical trial.