Military Applications

Growing Fingers and Limbs in the Lab

The human finger is a remarkable system that performs numerous functions, including structural support and movement. It is composed of many tissues, including bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle, fat, nerve and blood vessels. The replacement of amputated digits with prosthetics is often unsatisfactory.

image001_425244566Engineering new digits is a complicated process, but, theoretically, it is possible using conventional techniques. We have successfully engineered muscle, bone and blood vessels in the laboratory and have combined them to replace a small segment of a digit in an experimental model.

Our goal in this research is to one day combine these components together – or learn to engineer them as a unit – to replace fingers and limbs in humans.

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Burns are a major component of war casualties. Learn more about research initiatives by WFIRM scientists that aim to create new skin to be used in burn patients.


News & Highlights

Graca Almeida-Porada, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s Institute for Regenerative...

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A newly discovered protein may play a critical role in how the body regulates blood sugar levels.

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When it comes to manufacturing tissues and organs to cure disease and save lives, regenerative medicine is just like...

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Research led by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’sInstitute for Regenerative Medicine has been named one of the top...

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For the first time, researchers have combined gene therapy and stem cell transplantation to successfully reverse the...

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Last Updated 9/9/2011
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