Monday, September 15, 2008
Scaffolding Could Improve Bone Rebuilding Methods
From The Piper, October 2008Professor Jeffrey Hollinger and a group of university scientists, including Newell Washburn and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, have developed a new scaffolding for bone regeneration. The scaffolding, made of hyaluronic hydrogels, promotes cell proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of pre-osteoblast cells in vitro. Preliminary findings were presented at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.
The scaffolding has the potential to improve on traditional methods of repairing damaged bone tissue. For example, now when a person has a bone fracture that fails to heal, physicians repair the bone using demineralized bone matrix obtained from cadavers. This material is limited in supply, and because it comes from a human donor it carries a risk of transmitting viruses to the recipient. According to Washburn, assistant professor of chemistry and biomedical engineering, a synthetic matrix like the one the Carnegie Mellon researchers created could provide a safer and perhaps more effective alternative.
To view the complete October 2008 issue of The Piper
To view the complete Carnegie Mellon Press Release
Contact:
Jocelyn Duffy
jhduffy@cmu.edu