A team of researchers at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry are making strides in developing lab-grown bone grafts as an alternative to traditional autografting procedures. Autografting, which uses the patient's own bone, faces drawbacks such as additional surgery, longer recovery, and limited availability.
Each year, about 2.2 million bone-grafting procedures are performed worldwide, the gold standard of care being autografting, which uses the patient's own bone for tooth implantation and to repair and reconstruct parts of the mouth, face and skull.
Having already created a technology that makes bone scaffolds with collagen-like nanostructures, micrometer-sized pores and natural shapes, the researchers have hit on an"exciting improvement" that regenerates bone by improving cell-matrix interactions, said Peter Ma, professor of dentistry. Of the more than 2 million bone graft procedures globally, 500,000 of them are performed in the United States and add up to about $5 billion in costs, the researchers say.
"What we invented are biodegradable polymer templates that contain peptides on nanofibers, acting like keys to open new gates to liberate the locked bone regeneration potential from the recipient's own cells. After the regeneration of pre-designed 3D bone tissue, the materials will degrade and disappear without potential long-term complications," said Ma, who is also a professor at U-M's College of Engineering and Medical School.
Bone Graft Autografting Dental Procedures Laboratory Research University Of Michigan School Of Dentistry
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nebraska governor signs executive order barring state agencies from buying lab-grown meatPolitical News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government
Read more »
World’s 1st lab-grown blood stem cells could aid in bone marrow transplantsIn lab tests, the blood stem cells effectively developed into “functional bone marrow” in immune-deficient mice.
Read more »
Lab-grown stem cells could be a 'breakthrough' for cancer treatmentStem cells made in the lab may one day aid cancer treatment by reducing our reliance on donors
Read more »
Researchers develop tool that measures health of a person's gut microbiomeA team of researchers has developed an innovative computational tool that analyzes the gut microbiome, a complex ecosystem of trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms within the digestive system, to provide insights into overall well-being.
Read more »
Lab-grown Cotton Start-up Galy Raises $33 Million Series B Round From Inditex, H&MZara parent company Inditex, H&M joined Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures in a $33 Million funding round for lab-grown cotton startup Galy.
Read more »
Weekly: First living transparent mouse; lab-grown stem cells; Spy balloonsThe first human blood stem cells have been created in a lab and successfully turned into functioning bone marrow. This research could revolutionise the treatment of blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma. So far it’s only been tested on mice, but researchers are hopeful it could work in humans too.
Read more »