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Growing human body parts
09/03/2006 18:29 - (SA)
Jennifer C Yates
Pittsburgh - Like no war before, the one in Iraq has seen unprecedented numbers of injuries due to surprise bomb attacks.
And like no war before, troops often are surviving those attacks, although many lose limbs or have severe burns.
This has led researchers to create the Soldier Treatment and Regeneration Consortium, whose goal is to grow back human body parts like ears and fingers, as well as to treat burns.
Researchers say the advancements could have a broad impact well beyond the battlefield.
The consortium, which has the backing of the military, received $1m (about R6.26m) in funding from the federal government last week.
"It's a starting point, and it will enable us to get organised and prepare.
"Hopefully it will also help us treat one or two patients this year and generate clinical experience," said Alan J Russell, director of the University of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
He also is executive director of the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative.
The new consortium's five-year goal is to create a fully functional finger.
Supporting victims of war
For about five years, researchers at the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative have been running the national tissue engineering centre, a defence department-supported institute that strives to improve the survival of those with life-threatening injuries.
But the need for speedier developments became apparent as American military forces became injured in Iraq, Russell said.
According to the department of defence, more than 16 000 soldiers wounded in Iraq - about 6% of the total - have required amputations.
"The need is easy to see, unfortunately," Russell said.
Other partners in the effort include the Texas-based US Army Institute of Surgical Research, the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre and the North Carolina-based Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Russell said at least one patient had already been identified as a candidate for some of the procedures that researchers are pursuing.
- SAPA
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