New artificial bone made of coal and stem cells

Yesterday scientists from Granada, Spain, presented a new biomaterial that allows the regeneration of bone tissue or artificial bone from stem cells of the umbilical cord that are previously differenciated on an activated carbon fabric support.

Despite that this method has not yet been implemented in research ‘in vivo’ models, the results that were obtained by laboratory analysis are promising, and in the future it could serve to manufacture medicines intended for the repair of bone lesions or osteochondral, tumoral or traumatic and the replacement of cartilage in those bony limbs that have lost it.

After obtaining the artificial bone in the laboratory, researchers are planning a next step, which involves implanting this biomaterial in models of animal experimentation, such as rats or rabbits, to check if it is able to regenerate bone in them. They will cause the fracture and then will see how it evolves.

The evidence of this research conducted by the Centre of research in Biomedicine of the University of Granada, the faculties of Sciences of Granada and Jaen and the Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine Lopez Neyra (CSIC), will begin in September.