Thread: Rebuild your body

The title above, and the reference for this is New Scientist 14 September 2013, page 33.

I was inspired to post this by another poster a short while back who tried to tell us all that there has been no major advance in medicine for decades. The 'rebuild your body' advances prove this wrong.

Turns out that the intercellular matrix, which is the scaffolding surrounding cells and organs providing shape and structure, has many functions. It is made up of proteins like collagen, elastin, integrin and fibronectin. These proteins do more than just provide shape and strength. They actually stimulate growth of exactly the correct cells for a particular organ, in exactly the right place.

One researcher, for example, removed kidneys from laboratory rats, and created new kidneys from shaped intercellular matrix, with rat stem cells implanted, and they grew into new kidneys which, transplanted into the same rats, gave them full kidney function.

This technique is now in use on humans, and is creating cures for injuries and illness that is quite "miraculous". For example, nasty accidents which tear out great chunks of human muscle often leave people as permanent cripples. But such muscles have now been rebuilt and successfully transplanted into victims, using the intercellular matrix taken from pigs, and seeded with human stem cells. Over time, the pig material dissolves away and leaves fully functional human muscles. People walking long distances who could not previously even stand.

Another technique introduced nanoparticles of silver into the matrix, which meant the transplanted item remained infection free (even against antibiotic resistant bacteria), and without using antibiotics at all.

Nasty fistulas now can be repaired with this material. New veins, stronger than the original, used by those who undergo dialysis and suffer vein degradation. Even an implant into rat brains that reverses signs of a stroke (yet to be done in humans).

Who said that medical break throughs had stopped!

Originally Posted by skeptic

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Nasty fistulas now can be repaired with this material. New veins, stronger than the original, used by those who undergo dialysis and suffer vein degradation. Even an implant into rat brains that reverses signs of a stroke (yet to be done in humans).

Who said that medical break throughs had stopped!

Few fistulas are not (nasty). Fissures, similarly. Personally, I know of no one (who has said that). jocular

If all this is possible why isn't being done? My guess is because they can't make any money from it the way they can from offering worthless products from the cosmetic industry.

Is there any way to reverse hemorrhoids without surgery?

Originally Posted by kurgle

If all this is possible why isn't being done? My guess is because they can't make any money from it the way they can from offering worthless products from the cosmetic industry.

It is being done, but not on a large scale. Given time to perfect the technique and it will become large scale.

If they are doing this, then by the time it is perfected it will be only the very rich that can afford this. The only way someone will who isn't rich can get anything is to volunteer to be a test subject, with all the risks involved.

New technologies are always costly at first. But the price tends to come down over time, till they become affordable by those who need them.