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Temporomandibular Joint Bone Grown From Stem Cells
(Monday October 12 2009)
 | From the BBC: "Scientists have created part of the jaw joint in the lab using human adult stem cells. They say it is the first time a complex, anatomically-sized bone has been accurately created in this way. It is hoped the technique could be used not only to treat disorders of the specific joint, but more widely to correct problems with other bones too. ... The joint has a complex structure which makes it difficult to repair by using grafts from bones elsewhere in the body. The latest study used human stem cells taken from bone marrow. These were seeded into a tissue scaffold, formed into the precise shape of the human jaw bone by using digital images from a patient. The cells were then cultured using a specially-designed bioreactor which was able to infuse the growing tissue with exactly the level of nutrients found during natural bone development. ... he availability of personalised bone grafts engineered from the patient's own stem cells would revolutionise the way we currently treat these defects. ... he new technique could also be applied to other bones in the head and neck, including skull bones and cheek bones, which are similarly difficult to graft." |
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