Finnish patient gets new jaw from own stem cells

February 4, 2008 | Source: abc.net.au

Scientists in Finland have replaced a 65-year-old patient’s upper jaw with a bone transplant grown inside his abdomen after being cultivated from stem cells isolated from his own fatty tissue.

Researchers said the breakthrough opens up new ways to treat severe tissue damage and makes the prospect of custom-made living spares parts for humans a step closer to reality.