Artificial bone from transplanted pig cells for humans

American scientists for the first time successfully replicated artificial bone from pig cells, opening hope for clinical application.

According to researchers at Columbia University in New York, USA, the modified bone has been used to successfully repair the complicated, lower jaw of pigs, paving the way for bone regeneration. other places in the human body.

Bones are often complex in shape, making it difficult to find suitable alternatives in patients with accidental bone injuries, illnesses or birth defects, according to Live Science.

Although the surgeon can replace the lost bone with titanium, the artificial implant itself lacks bone marrow, which plays many important roles in the body, such as creating sacrifices. red blood cells and white blood cells.

Patients can donate bone donation, but that also raises other problems, such as increased risk of rejection. In addition, doctors can remove bone from another part of the patient's body and insert it where needed, but this causes damage in the area of ​​the bone, causing pain.

This image shows regenerating bone, with mineral substrate (red) and vascular system development (blood vessels with red blood cells in the sinuses).(Photo: Sarindr Bhumiratana)

Scientists hope to successfully replicate bone in the laboratory. They focused on Ramus-condyle units , a part of the lower jaw attached to the skull in the area near the ear and the main force-bearing bone of the face area. They tested on Yucatán pigs, because their structure and function are quite similar to humans.

First, the researchers removed a large piece from the beef femur and removed the enzyme cells and detergents. Then they cut the missing bone blocks so that it fit snugly into the part of Ramus-condyle that had been removed from the pig and then implanted into the bone graft of stem cells taken from lard.

Finally, they put them in " bioreactors" so that these stem cells are fed with oxygen and nutrients. After three weeks, stem cells develop into immature spine.

"The bone model is made up of lateral cells received," said biological engineer Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, a senior author of the study.

If this bone graft is used in treatment, they can be recreated from locations away from where the transplant is performed. To see how their transplants will develop under such conditions, Vunjak-Novakovic and his colleagues made bones and transplanted at two more than 1,200 miles (1,930 km) apart sites, that is New York City and Baton Rouge (Louisiana state).

Fat cells were separated from pigs and transported to experts, and transplants, along with bioreactors to maintain them, were transported back to the large laboratory.

Six months after surgery, the transplants successfully incorporated into the host's body and regenerated bone without any complications.

"The surprise is that the bone sections created in the lab after the transplant have gradually been replaced by new bones formed from the body itself , " Vunjak-Novakovic said.

Diagram describing bone tissue development techniques.In the study, the bone skeleton was transplanted with stem cells from pig fat.(Photo: S. Bhumiratana).

"This shows that the transplanted bone has become a natural part of the original bone."

Vunjak-Novakovic notes that the quality of regenerated tissues has surpassed previous methods. In addition, bone rigs allow bone formation without the use of expensive chemicals as the previous methods often depend on.

"This is a very interesting step in improving regenerative medicine for patients with deformities in the skull and face. We hope to have clinical trials in the next few years , " he said.

Clinical bone implant trials will be conducted through Vunjak-Novakovic's company called epiBone .

"Researching an advanced technology and being able to be part of the future is an extremely exciting and inspiring thing," the study's lead author, Sarindr Bhumiratana, postdoctoral researcher Professor at Columbia University and scientific director at epiBone said.

Scientists are experimenting with adding a cartilage layer to the spine implant to better simulate natural bone.

"Cartilage is a thin and flexible tissue that sits at the top of most of our bones, helping to reduce friction when moving," Vunjak-Novakovic said. The work is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine on June 15.