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Grow Your Own Replacement Bones

Posted by michael on from the not-made-of-adamantium-unfortunately dept.

Tim writes "New Scientist reports on a German man who had a complete jaw transplant, after having his cancerous jawbone removed nine years ago. The twist? This jawbone was grown on his shoulder, using a titanium mold, bone marrow, and recombinant bone morphogenic protein." There's also a BBC story.

8 of 331 comments (clear)

  1. Re:yup by superpulpsicle · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ah the erectile dysfunction pills and penile enhancement industry is in trouble now.

  2. joking aside, by JUSTONEMORELATTE · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As creepy as this may be for those of us fortunate enough to still have all original parts, it's life-changing or even life-saving if you've lost a section of your skeleton (like this dude) for some reason.
    Profoundly cool work.
    --
    I always wanted an iPod how about you?

    1. Re:joking aside, by hpulley · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Too bad it sounds like this is just generic bone grown in a mold, not actually a grown jawbone which knows its own shape. While it is cool that they can do this, I hope it leads to more complicated things like joints being grown to the right shape later as right now we can't do implantable prosthetic wrists or ankles, just too complicated. I know, as I have had reconstructive wrist surgery due to bone loss from a bone tumor; as good a job as they did with metal, cement, etc., it is not and never will be 100% as good as the original. I'd gladly have a wrist growing on my back for a while if it meant being 100% as good as before.

      --
      $#!^ happens, but why does it always have to happen to me???
    2. Re:joking aside, by Jhan · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm still curious what they atteched to the jawbone.

      The neckbone? I hear the word of the Lord!

      --

      I choose to remain celibate, like my father and his father before him.

  3. Re:Great. by garcia · · Score: 5, Informative

    Umm, this really isn't for people with your typical broken bone. This is for people that need a bone replacement.

    It only took seven weeks to grow the replacement jaw-piece and then only four more weeks until it was successfully grown into place.

    For some reason I was under the impression that they had grown him an entire new jaw but that was obviously not the case as they only grew him a piece of his jawbone back. He still has no teeth and the doctors claim he can get a set next year.

    Wow.

  4. Wait... by Kenja · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does this mean I should stop harvesting body parts off of hookers?

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    1. Re:Wait... by Ignignot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Nah, this is still experimenal. It isn't covered by your HMO like the hookers are.

      --
      I submitted this story last night, and it didn't get posted.
  5. Re:Hurray for Stem Cells Research by plover · · Score: 5, Informative
    As much as I don't like Bush and the Republican party, and think their embryonic stem cell restrictions are the penultimate in luddite stupidity, you should reread the article. This jawbone was grown from his own bone marrow stem cells, and did not require embryonic stem cells. No Bushwhacking would be involved.

    Besides, this was done in Germany. Even if the Theocratic States of America succeed in shutting down all medical progress, they're happy to outsource this sort of thing. Need a new kidney? Fly to Germany, they'll be happy to grow you a new one.

    --
    John