Scientists in Scotland have discovered that they can grow new bone just by vibrating it. As reported by The Telegraph Science Editor Sarah Knapton, stem cells can be coaxed into turning into bone cells—known as osteoblasts—by using low frequency vibrations in the lab. This technique is known as “nanokicking.” The vibrations used are very slight. They are so small that they have been compared to the vibrations caused by sliding a sheet of paper back and forth under a football.
Vibrations Turn Stem Cells Into Bone
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Researchers at the University of West Scotland and the University of Glasgow used a frequency of 1000 Hz. They believe that this frequency may mimic conditions experienced by bone in the body. In the laboratory that frequency stimulated the growth of natural bone in around 28 days.
Knapton quoted Professor Stuart Reid of the University of West Scotland as saying, “Our bodies are continuously experiencing mechanical stimuli, such as from our walking steps and our heart beat. We know that natural bone has some interesting mechanoelectrical properties, the piezoelectric effect—converting mechanical stress to electricity, which are optimal close to 1000Hz.” The researchers hope that this same frequency could be used to encourage healing of damaged bone while it is still within the body.
Reid added, “It is also well known that bone can only remain healthy when it is actively being loaded. That is why astronauts lose bone mass when in space. So we believe that we are mimicking something that the cells experience in our bodies.”
Knapton noted that bone is the second most commonly transplanted tissue in the world, behind blood transplants. The UK doctors are acutely aware that the United Kingdom’s growing population of aging citizens means that demand will increase for treatments for ailments such as osteoporosis and hip fractures.
The team aims to test their lab-grown bone in people within three years. They hope it will be possible to “nanokick” patients directly to heal fractures without surgery. The new technology is being shown at the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition in London.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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