Bone tissue grown by applying vibration to stem cells in new study

New technology to grow 3D bone tissue in the lab by applying vibration to stem cells has been developed by Scottish researchers.A team from the University of the West of Scotland and the University of Glasgow created the revolutionary technique, which could make it possible to carry out bone grafting in a way that is less painful and risky for patients.How the new method works Presented at the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition, the method involves vibrating stem cells to a microscopic degree at high speeds, thus triggering them into becoming bone-producing cells. This approach, called nanokicking, would produce cells that could be implanted where needed, fusing with existing bone to heal damage or fractures.The vibrations required to cause this change in function are minuscule, shaking the cells by billionths of a metre. For this study, the researchers created a specialised device called a bioreactor to fulfil this specific purpose, which will soon be commercialised to make it available to other scientists and bone researchers.This makes it possible to grow 3D bone from multipotent stem cells - a type of cell that can grow into many types of tissue needed throughout the body, such as fat, cartilage and bone.The benefits Currently, bone is the second most commonly transplanted tissue in the world behind blood, but the process requires painful surgery to remove bone samples from other parts of the body, while also posing a risk of rejection of the new tissue.By cont...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news