Is this the cure for heosteoporosis, bone injury,weak bones,fractures,bone thinning,arthritis, joint problems?
At the moment this isn’t the answer to anything. It is a demonstration that complex shapes of bone can be produced in the lab. As yet this shape cannot be sustained in the body because the blood vessel connections aren’t in place. It is more likely to be useful for reconstructing bones lost to cancer or possibly some forms of infection. The scientists have a lot of work to do before this type of reconstructive tissue can be used in clinical trials but it does offer options in the future. One thing to note is that the temporomandibular joint is unusual in that it does not have the usual form of articular cartilage and before the technique could be used in the hand or wrist for example a more complex mix of tissue types will have to be produced. This technique has no direct bearing on cloning – limited tissue types, shape obtained from template rather than growth factors being just two major differences.
