Newly Discovered Synthetic Bone Implant Could Provide Healthy Blood And Replace Bone Marrow Transplants

The researchers have discovered a bone-like implant that could generate healthy blood in the marrow and replace the painful bone marrow transplant. They have tested the engineered bone implant to mice successfully and might be applied to humans in need of transplants in the coming days.

The findings of the study were printed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study was led by scientists from the University of California San Diego. The team has created a synthetic bone implant that has functional marrow that could produce its own blood cells, according to Gizmodo.

In the new study, the team implanted the discovered synthetic bone tissues under the skin of the mice. The results showed after six months, those donor cells were still alive and had generated new blood cells in mice.

This synthetic bone implant could reproduce the long bones in the body. It has the outer bone compartment with calcium phosphate minerals that can build bone cells. Meanwhile, its inner area for donor stem cells could generate blood cells, according to New Scientist.

Shyni Varghese, one of the researchers, said that it is an added accessory for the host. She further explained that they have their own bone tissue and now an added one that can be used if needed. She described it as having more batteries for the bone.

The synthetic bone implant could provide new bone marrow to patients who need transplant such as the marrow transplants, which are the common cure for ailments from bone marrow disease to leukemia. Meanwhile, Varghese said that the implants are limited to patients with non-malignant bone marrow disease that do not have cancerous cells, which are eradicated through radiation and chemotherapy. On the other hand, the procedure could be enhanced that might lessen recovery times and increase the survival rates in the future, according to ZDNet.