A New Way to Grow Bones

Roland Piquepaille writes "As it is often the case, a recent discovery just came out from a simple idea. By studying diseases in which the human body generates too much bone, UCLA researchers have discovered a natural molecule that can be used to generate new bone growth in patients who lack it. This new molecule has aptly been named UCB, or University of California Bone. This new protein for growing bones is more precise and has fewer side effects than the ones currently used by orthopedic surgeons to aid in bone repair. But if you suffer from a bone deficit today, you'll have to wait almost ten years before an FDA approval and a commercial introduction of products based on this discovery. Read more for other details and references, plus a picture of a bone defect corrected by the UCB."

Comments

That's not the problem..

[spineboy]

IAAOS (I am an Orthopaedic Surgeon) and usually having overgrowth of bone(Heterotopic ossification) is not a problem. A quick visit to the radiation oncologist for some very low dose radiation usually will prevent any expected overgrowth (as long as you're not a child). Tobacco smoking also usually does a fair job with this too.

We have become very good at fixing broken bones, but when there is major bone loss we have no great solutions. Infections and trauma that result in substantial bone loss either require a tumor type prosthesis (replacement) or an amputation. Neither are great choices.

The current methods for stimulating bone growth (e.g. you want to make sure that your spinal fusion for arthritis will work, or that your bad tibia(shin bone) fracture will heal) usually involve either the use of BMPs (bone morphogenic proteins) at non physiologic concentrations (>1,000x found in the body) or by the use of electric/or ultrasonic stimulators. BMPs are very expensive $ - several thousand dollars for a few table spoons worth of material. The electric/ultrasonic stimulators by in large have not been found to be very useful.

Bone loss is still a significant problem in orthopaedics and oral surgery, and the discovery of anything that provides a significant means to renew bone stock will be a major advance for patients. Having said this - I'll wait and see if the UCBs make it to the marketplace. That should be about 10 years from now.