Scientists grow forelimb in lab for first time ever

Scientists were recently able to grow a fully functional forelimb in a laboratory for the first time ever.

While it was only a rat's forearm that scientists managed to grow, the breakthrough from Massachusetts General Hospital could lead to human limbs being developed in the future.

The researchers describe using an experimental approach previously used to build bioartificial organs to engineer rat forelimbs with functioning vascular and muscle tissue. They also provided evidence that the same approach could be applied to the limbs of primates.

Functional testing of the isolated limbs showed that electrical stimulation of muscle fibers caused them to contract with a strength 80 percent of what would be seen in newborn animals. The vascular systems of bioengineered forelimbs transplanted into recipient animals quickly filled with blood which continued to circulate, and electrical stimulation of muscles within transplanted grafts flexed the wrists and digital joints of the animals' paws.

The research team also successfully decellularized baboon forearms to confirm the feasibility of using this approach on the scale that would be required for human patients.

The study is published online in the journal Biomaterials.