Regrown bone

Regrown bone

Since the 1960s, researchers have known about proteins that can prompt bone tissue to grow its own patches for missing or damaged parts. Unfortunately, that technology never worked perfectly, often growing the wrong type of tissue or growing bone where bone shouldn't be. In 2005, researchers at UCLA solved the problem, using a specially designed protein capable only of triggering growth in specific types of cells. Called UCB-1, the protein is now used to grow new bone that can fuse and immobilize sections of vertebrae, relieving severe back pain in some patients.