Do not try this on patients yet, but it may be that a cheap ingredient used in paint could be of help in repairing broken bones. Scottish scientists have developed a new technique to aid bone regeneration, paving the way for a revised treatment for spinal injuries and bone grafts. The treatment uses a cheap ingredient found in paint that is daubed on the bone grafts.
Cheap Paint Ingredient Raises Safety and Effectiveness of BMP-2
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As described by Lizzy Buchan, writer for The Scotsman, doctors have, for several years, used the growth factor BMP-2 to help augment bone regrowth. Unfortunately, BMP-2 passes too quickly through the human body to be useful for use in a wide variety of indications. Giving patients very high doses of the protein solves this from happening but these high quantities bring their own series of side effects.
Research to the rescue. Investigators have found that a cheap ingredient in acrylic paints, acrylic fibers and fabrics, something called ethyl acrylate, when painted on bone grafts, allows the growth factors to stay in place and be effective at much smaller doses. The findings could reduce the risk of harmful side effects while also lowering costs.
Matthew Dalby, Ph.D., Professor of Cell Engineering at Glasgow University, said: “In itself, the polymer we’re using seems fairly unremarkable but we’ve discovered that it has enormous potential for clinical applications. The ease in which the polymer can be used to do something very biologically complex is extraordinary and mimics the way growth factors are used naturally in the body”
The research is published in Science Advances journal. Sarah Leyland, of the National Osteoporosis Society, said: “The broken bones osteoporosis causes can often be debilitating and life-changing. Although much more work is needed into this area, the National Osteoporosis Society welcomes any research which aims to improve our understanding of bone regeneration and healing and helps those affected by fractures.” The team hopes to conduct the first human trial into the technology within the next five years.
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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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