Australian Stem Cell Researchers Seeing Bone Repair Benefits
Related News: Bone and CartilageAt the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia the Director Richard de Steiger has set into a patient's left thigh bone his own stem cells.
He inserted about 30 million stem cells into a cavity in Mr Stevens's left thigh bone, which then has been coated on with "scaffolding" made of bone-like material.
The stem cells that were used have been harvested from the patient's bone marrow during a biopsy about seven weeks earlier and cultured into bone-producing cells.
The goal of the operation is to promote bone regeneration. But doctors will have to wait six weeks before they know if the cells are likely to grow into new bone.
Dr de Steiger is hoping the cavity in the patient's bone will be completely filled after 16 weeks.
"Like any medical research it's exciting, but it's tempered by the fact you have to wait and see," Dr de Steiger said.
Posted on April 7, 2006 07:28 PM