The patient’s own stem cells, harvested from their bone marrow may soon be to patch up damaged bones and joints anywhere in the body.
British scientists are testing injectable stem cells that can be guided around the body with a magnet.
Professor Al Haj successfully grew bone in mice using the stem cell nanoparticles and plans to use the promising new treatment next on goats. Researchers were able to guide the injected stem cells in mice to the damaged areas to generate bone and cartilage growth.
The technique combines the patients own bone marrow stem cells with donor bone cells to patch-repair damaged bones that would otherwise need treatment with metal plates and pins.