Engineering Could Give Reconstructive Surgery a Facelift

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Using engineering design methods, researchers model custom bone replacement implants for facial reconstruction surgery.

Facial reconstruction patients may soon have the option of custom-made bone replacements optimized for both form and function, thanks to researchers at the University of Illinois and the Ohio State University Medical Center.

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Growing Cartilage: Bioactive Nanomaterial Promotes Growth of New Cartilage

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3D illustration of the knee. Damaged cartilage can lead to joint pain and loss of physical function and eventually to osteoarthritis.

Northwestern University researchers are the first to design a bioactive nanomaterial that promotes the growth of new cartilage in vivo and without the use of expensive growth factors. Minimally invasive, the therapy activates the bone marrow stem cells and produces natural cartilage. No conventional therapy can do this.

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Experimental Approach May Reverse Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoporosis

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A newly identified mechanism may keep a well known signaling molecule from eroding bone and inflaming joints — a finding that may yield new treatments for osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers have identified a mechanism that may keep a well known signaling molecule from eroding bone and inflaming joints, according to an early study published online today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Continue reading… “Experimental Approach May Reverse Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoporosis”