The Technograph

The loss of a limb is a horrifying thought, but luckily, cellular regeneration could not be any simpler. One who has lost a limb must only take a swig of “Skele-Gro,” get a few days rest, and any bones that were lost due to such an accident will re-grow to their original form. However, without the aid of an apothecary to produce the magical potion as in Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets, we do not have the astounding ability to re-grow severed limbs-yet. Researchers, including Professor Stephen Badylak at the McGown Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, believe they have found a powder which, when applied to an open wound or damaged muscle, may lead to the regrowth of fingertips and large portions of muscle lost due to trauma.

The proclaimed “magical powder” is derived from a surprising source: pig organs, specifically intestines or bladders. To create the powder, scientists take a portion of a pig’s bladder and remove all of the cells. What remains is the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is the membrane between cells and has the job of, among other things, controlling the actions of cells. The ECM is then combined with various chemicals and nutrients to create a white powder, and the powder is applied to the trauma location.

Scientists are still unsure exactly why this mysterious process works and some are skeptical of the powder’s credibility, but it is believed that the ECM stimulates adult stem cells to begin the regrowth process. Two types of stem cells, embryonic and adult, are created by the human body at certain points in one’s life. Embryonic stem cells can generate any cell type, allowing an embryo to grow their organs and tissues needed for life. The fetus, during very early stages of a baby’s development, may also regenerate body parts that are lost from a trauma while in the womb. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which only exist during the initial stages of a baby’s development, adult stem cells exist throughout a person’s life. It has been previously thought that these cells can only replace dying cells or repair injured tissue. However, the “magic” powder, derived from a pig’s ECM, is believed to allow adult stem cells to mimic embryonic stem cells, and thus effectively recreate certain tissue lost from trauma.

The government has recognized the potential of the powder and granted money to a research team headed by Professor Badylak to test the technique. A small group of soldiers, who have sustained significant injuries to digits or muscles, have been chosen to aid in the research of the powder. The team intends to unveil more of the substance’s chemical processes in the future.

Dr. Fei Wang is an Assistant Professor in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology here at the University of Illinois. As with many researchers, Dr. Wang regards the story with some caution, but feels it is “highly exciting” and believes that researchers should “certainly pursue further to discover what factors are in the powder” that influence its behavior. Dr. Wang is studying stem cells and their importance in early human development. He and his team recently published an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal which details their findings of the importance of the chemical rapamycin in their research. Like Professor Badylak, Dr. Wang hopes his conclusions will continue to unveil the magic of cellular regeneration.

Tagged with: severed, limb, future, new