Bone glue tested in a human for the first time: Material gradually replaced by new tissue

Scientists have spent more than a decade developing a glue capable of joining broken bones and gradually transforming into new bone tissue, Medical Xpress reports.

Now, the technology has been used in a human for the first time. In early August, the bone glue was used during knee surgery in England.

The patient became the first participant in a clinical trial designed to assess the material's effectiveness in treating fractures near joints.

The development was launched more than a decade ago by Håkan Engqvist and Philip Procter of Uppsala University. The material is now being developed by the Irish company Biomimetic Innovations Ltd., while the original version was developed by Engqvist, Procter and Gerard Insley at the Ångström Laboratory.

"It is very exciting to see the work progressing and finally reaching the stage where there is a real product undergoing clinical trials," said Engqvist, professor of applied materials science at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Scientists spent years developing a formulation that could reliably hold bone fragments together. The first tests were conducted on cow bones obtained from a slaughterhouse. To demonstrate the strength of the bond, the researchers glued the bones together, suspended them from an apple tree and attached buckets of water to them.

"At the Ångström Laboratory, we worked on the chemical composition and conducted various tests showing that bone fragments could be joined strongly enough to hold securely," Engqvist explained.

The material consists of calcium phosphate and phosphoserine mixed with water. The resulting compound has a sticky consistency, hardens quickly and forms a very strong bond.

At the same time, the glue does not remain in the body permanently. Calcium phosphate naturally occurs in bone tissue, while phosphoserine is a molecule produced by the body. The material gradually breaks down and is replaced by new bone tissue.

Tests in small animals conducted at Uppsala University confirmed the effectiveness of the technology. Biomimetic Innovations then began larger-scale studies. The company is now working with Leeds University Teaching Hospitals to evaluate the material in patients.

The first clinical trial focuses on fractures near joints, in which the part of the bone close to the joint is not only cracked but also compressed or crushed. This can leave a cavity that needs to be filled to restore the damaged area.

"For biomaterials researchers, it is a dream to take a development out of the laboratory and finally test whether it actually works in real life," said Procter, founder of Biomimetic Innovations and an affiliated professor at Uppsala University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. According to him, surgeons will now be able to assess how suitable the material is for practical use and whether it requires further development.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter