Doctors announced on Wednesday that they have been successful in regenerating muscle tissue with the help of an unlikely source – a pig.
A pig’s bladder, to be precise. U.S. doctors say that by implanting some material from the bladder into a wound that has undergone severe trauma, they can spur muscle tissue growth. Although the technique has only been used to treat a total of five patients, doctors are excited about the results.
“While the number of patients was small, we were very encouraged by the data. And we were seeing very dramatic improvements in quality of life for some of our patients,” said Dr. J. Peter Rubin of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, one of the researchers on the project.
Doctors hope that their discovery will help aid patients who have lost a limb to severe trauma. They believe it could be significant for soldiers who lost a limb while serving their country.
How It Works
Doctors begin by implanting a piece of pig’s bladder known as the “extracellular matrix” – a non-cellular component present in all muscles and tissues – onto the injury site. In essence, the material acts like scaffolding to a building. Just like scaffolding allows workers to reach new areas to continue building the structure, the pig’s bladder acts as a base for the existing stems cells to use in repairing the injured area.
In their trials, doctors tested the procedure on five males who had undergone at least 3-6 months of physical therapy in which muscle strength failed to improve. Three of the men had suffered severe calf injuries, while the other two had lost at least 60 percent of their thigh. Doctors implanted the material into the wound site, then asked patients to partake in six months of physical therapy.
“Frankly, most of these patients have been through hell. These are serious injuries,” said Dr. Stephen Badylak, who led the research. “In fact, one or two of the patients even considered amputation at one point because they’ve just been through so much.”
At the end of physical therapy, three of the men registered at least 20 percent stronger in the five tested categories, while the other two showed broad improvement in some but not all measures. Doctors are currently waiting on the results of four more patients who have undergone the operation.
Dr. Silverman comments
Medical science is truly amazing at times. I’m more than happy to give someone the ability to walk again if amputation and a prosthetic is the route they want to go, but soon patients may have another option.
I will certainly be keeping an eye on this research.
Related source: Reuters
