Although the last article was about more concrete innovations, we at Medinary are easily distracted when medical things make it into headlines. Currently, the media world is buzzing over a study that may promise a new kind of breast reconstruction following surgery. There is a new technique, currently only having been tried on pigs, that allows the body to naturally regrow breast tissue. This would be a welcome alternative to engineered implants which can rupture, shrink, etc. Human trials on six patients are planned to begin next year in Melbourne, Australia.
The team behind the method compares it to scaffolds. They implant an empty chamber which the body fills with fat on its own. Thus, the reconstruction can be highly detailed. Another plus is that the “scaffold” is made with biodegradable material, so that removal is not necessary. The doctors responsible for it are quite realistic and not quick to call it perfect. One of the most pressing questions is if it will truly be effective in cancer patients. There is concern over whether cancer cells could use the scaffold to spread and regrow. If all goes well, as all hope it will, it could still be years before it is used clinically. Read about it at BBC.