Growing your own bones: Columbia University researchers perfecting DIY replacements

In just a few years, you might be able to grow your own replacement bones from stem cells.

Using pieces of human or animal bone as scaffolds, a Columbia University team has grown more than 50 healthy bones from stem cells — the largest approximately 2.5 inches long. Among other specimens, the researchers produced a cheek bone, a small part of a femur bone, and a complex temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is located in front of each ear and allows for chewing, speaking and smiling.

Using custom-built bioreactors housed at Columbia’s Biomedical Engineering Lab, the process currently takes three to five weeks, and the team is working on a faster turnaround. Read Full Story.

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