A CT scan shows the Treacher Collins syndrome patient, who was born without cheekbones, before the stem cell procedure
A CT scan of the patient's skull after the stem cell treatment helped him regrow missing cheekbones
Posted on 10/15/2009 9:59:55 AM PDT by Abathar
Surgeons report success in first human bone growth procedure using fat stem cells--with no culturing necessary
Stem cells so far have been used to mend tissues ranging from damaged hearts to collapsed tracheas. Now the multifaceted cells have proved successful at regrowing bone in humans. In the first procedure of its kind, doctors at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center replaced a 14-year-old boy's missing cheekbones—in part by repurposing stem cells from his own body.
The technique, should it be approved for widespread use, could benefit some seven million people in the U.S. who need more bone—everyone from cancer patients to injured war veterans.
"This is sort of the holy grail for a number of different surgeons," says Jesse Taylor, a surgeon and researcher in the hospital's Division of Plastic Surgery and one of the procedure's lead physicians. The procedure could be used in plastic, orthopedic and neural surgeries, he notes. Some bone tissue had previously been generated from stem cells in the lab, but this marks hope for a surgical solution for those who need additional bone.
"We often find ourselves in the operating room saying, 'Man, I wish we had a little more bone,'" Taylor says. In adult patients plastic and metal have often subbed in, in the absence of bone, but as Taylor notes: "What happens if someone gets a fracture? It's another surgery." In contrast, a natural bone regrown from stem cells should heal on its own. Another alternative, bone transplants—either repurposed from the patient's body or from cadavers—have high rejection and absorption rates, leading to many unsuccessful attempts.
To create the new bones, which have become part of the patient's own skull structure and have remained securely in place for four and a half months, the medical team used a combination of fat-derived stem cells, donated
(Excerpt) Read more at scientificamerican.com ...
A CT scan of the patient's skull after the stem cell treatment helped him regrow missing cheekbones
Wow! is right! This PROVES that FETAL STEM CELLS ARE NOT NECESSARY FOR ANYTHING!......................
Yep, seems poor old Michael J. Fox doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
At least one that isn’t shaking like a bowl of jello that is...
But some would “feel” better if we had to kill a fetus to do this.
That wasn’t nice.
That is amazing. I hope the teen has a long and happy life!
This type of news makes my day. I’ve had a painful nonunion (permanently broken bone) in one foot for 20+ years that refused to graft. I sincerely hope our idiot government doesn’t meddle in these great discoveries that can help us all.
That’s awesome. I’m willing to donate fat & skin...and no,i’m not kidding.
No, but he really isn’t a nice guy.
My grandfather died from it and my father now has a hand that won’t stop shaking, his outspoken support on this topic concerning fetal stem cells and those of us who don’t support harvesting them will let me sleep at night though.
Wow, amazing, it’s good to know that I’m carrying all the medical treatment I’ll need around my waistline.
Yeah, but it was funny!
Perhaps Michael Mooron and Rosie O’Donuts can donate some of their fat cells to help..........
I can see where you are coming from.
Lord Love your Dad and may this be a breakthrough for many diseases!
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