Scientists are developing a “liquid bone” that could be injected into people affected by bone-thinning diseases such as osteoporosis.
The paste-like material consists of tiny hollow spheres of calcium phosphate — the principal mineral in bones — each one packed with stem cells that help new bone to develop.
The experimental material is being developed with funding from a government research council and is a response to the rapid rise in the number of older people in whom genes, a previous lack of exercise, poor diet and other factors have combined to produce thin bones that are prone to fracture.
About 3m Britons have osteoporosis, which contributes to 60,000 hip, 50,000 wrist and 120,000 spinal fractures a year, according to theNational Osteoporosis Society.
The health and social cost of these fractures is estimated at £1.7bn.
“Our aim would be to use screening to spot people who are at risk, then strengthen their bones before they get fractures,” said Dr Ifty Ahmed, a researcher at Nottingham University, who last week revealed details of the project at the Regener8 conference on regenerative medicine, in Leeds.
“It means that rather than waiting until people have a fall and break something, we would try to stop that ever happening, alongwith the consequences — loss of independence, surgery and secondary illnesses.”
The idea of strengthening vulnerable bones using stem cells has been around for some time but the cells are delicate and most of them die after being transplanted. As a result, there are as yet no available treatments.
The breakthrough achieved by Ahmed’s team was in findingaway of perforating the “microspheres” of calcium phosphatewith tiny holes, allowing the stemcells to get inside, where they are protected from damage.
The idea, which is experimental and yet to be trialled in humans, would involve stripping stem cells from a patient’s bone marrow, then mixing them with the microspheres.
After an hour or so in which the cells migrate to the insides of the microspheres, the mix would be injected into the bones around vulnerable joints such as the hip.
Ahmed’s work has so far been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council but his team is now seeking a commercial partner.
“If it works, this kind of treatment could be done in a day,” he said.
By Jonathan Leake in "The London Times", September 21 2014. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.