jnelsoninjax Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 A U.S.soldier who had most of his leg muscle blown off in Afghanistan has become the first to see it grow back in a pioneering experimental operation. Marine Isaias Hernandez lost 70 per cent of his right thigh muscles when an enemy mortar exploded as he tried to carry out repairs to a truck in Afghanistan. With such severe muscle damage Hernandez would ordinarily have had his leg amputated. But a re-think in the way soldiers are treated led to the wounded warrior being injected with a growth promoting substance extracted from pig bladders. The revolutionary treatment gives hope to the hundreds of maimed veterans returning from conflicts with severe limb trauma. Stephen Badylak, the tissue engineering director at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh said: 'It was a remarkable recovery.' Since the experimental growth hormone was used, Hernandez has regained most of the strength in his right thigh. The wounded Marine's recovery is particularly exciting for scientists as it involves the regeneration of skeletal muscle which ordinarily does not grow back. The new treatment could in theory revolutionize how not just how soldiers are treated, but all potential amputees. In preparation for the operation, corporal Hernandez was made to build up the remaining 30 per cent of muscle left on the damaged thigh. Surgeons then sliced into the thigh, placing a thin slice of a substance called extracellular matrix. The surgery is the result of a $70 million investment by the U.S. military into regenerative medicine research. Marine Hernandez was 19 when he was gearing up his truck in Afghanistan ahead of a long journey. As he approached the vehicle an enemy mortar exploded, throwing shrapnel into his exposed body parts. Fortunately the Marine, he was carrying a TV which shielded the upper half of his body. Speaking to The Australian, Corporal Hernandez said: 'Pretty much anything that wasn't covered, arms and legs, was hit.' Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrohard Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Gregory House will be happy to hear about this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al3xw Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Gregory House will be happy to hear about this! PAHAHAH My Thoughts Exactly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey B. Veteran Posted June 20, 2011 Veteran Share Posted June 20, 2011 Gregory House will be happy to hear about this! thinking the same thing Looks as though its a common thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phouchg Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 That's amazing... this regrowing thing and stem cells regrowing most other stuff, delaying aging and an artificial heart already done. :blink: I want my God Mode switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebor Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 This is just Wow, really wow and so cool :) I remember reading a year or so ago that someone said that within my lifetime living forever could happen, I didn't really believe it but with a lot of recent medical advances it could possibly happen within the next 60-70 years (hopefully my lifetime :D lol) They did say it would probably start be expanding the length of peoples lives by more and more and of course that gives more time to solve the problem. Top stuff researchers, and even well done to the military for funding such research Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid Knight Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 See if they can do something for regenerating cells in the brain. Living forever (or just a significant increase) may happen in our lifetime but we've already missed the boat on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phouchg Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 See if they can do something for regenerating cells in the brain. They'll get to that eventually. And your memory, abilities and thoughts - you'll just get your nightly backup from the cloud! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoredBozirini Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 See if they can do something for regenerating cells in the brain. Living forever (or just a significant increase) may happen in our lifetime but we've already missed the boat on that one. Research showed you can convert skin cells into brain cells, so that is not far off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 This is a follow on of earlier tests that re-grew finger tips. Even more impressive is a project at DARPA - they and their university partners are in Phase 2 development of a system to re-grow entire limbs, salamander style. As of 2009 they'd already achieved a major milestone: the creation of a blastomere (limb bud) in a mammal. This tech could also be used to re-grow wounds where there is massive tissue loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted June 20, 2011 Member Share Posted June 20, 2011 This is very impressive and will help so many people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingCrimson Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 They'll get to that eventually. And your memory, abilities and thoughts - you'll just get your nightly backup from the cloud! :D Daily brain backups on Apple's iCloud. Oh joy. :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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