Scientists uncover new method for tissue regeneration

The study, published in Scientific Reports, details a new method for bone regeneration by stimulating cells to produce vesicles that can be delivered for tissue regeneration, UPI wrote.

The number of bone fractures are expected to double worldwide by 2020, putting added stress on healthcare systems.

Osteoporosis-fragility fractures can have a significantly negative impact on quality of life.

There are significant limitations to current treatments for bone repair like autologous grafts that cannot meet demand and lead to patient morbidity, allogeneic bone lacks bioactive factors and growth factor-based approaches can lead to serious side-effects and high costs.

The new approach provides the advantages of cell-based therapies, but without using viable cells.

The method harnesses the regenerative capacity of extracellular vesicles, Nano-sized particles that are naturally generated in bone formation.

Dr. Owen Davies, of the University of Birmingham, said, "It is early days, but the potential is there for this to transform the way we approach tissue repair.

"We're now looking to produce these therapeutically valuable particles at scale and also examine their capacity to regenerate other tissues."