In a world first, scientists have coaxed stem cells in live rabbits to rebuild the bone and cartilage of a missing leg joint, according to a study unveiled on Thursday.
The experiments show that it should one day be possible to replace a human hip or knee with a joint grown naturally inside the body using the patient's own stem cells.
"This is the first time an entire joint surface was regenerated with return of functions including weight bearing and locomotion," lead researcher Jeremy Mao, a professor at Columbia University Medical Center, said in a statement. |
