Wool you believe it? Scientists use sheep's wool to fix broken bones!

Imagine getting your broken bones fixed with a sustainable material made from everyday wool! British scientists have just had a major breakthrough. They've shown how a natural protein from sheep's wool could revolutionise how we repair damaged bone.

Wool Power for Bone Repair

A team from King’s College London has found that keratin, a natural structural protein derived from wool, can help bones regenerate. It creates new bone tissue that looks more like natural, healthy bone than the current 'gold standard' material.

Dr Sherif Elsharkawy, from King’s Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, said: "We are really excited to show for the first time how a wool-based material has been successfully tested in a living animal to repair bones."

This innovative material also offers a huge sustainability boost. Wool is a natural, renewable resource, often a waste product from farming.

A Game-Changer for Medicine?

For decades, collagen has been the go-to for many medical and dental repairs. But it can be weak and break down too quickly, especially for bones needing to support weight. It's also pricey and complex to extract.

The scientists developed membranes using wool keratin and tested them on human bone cells. These cells not only survived but showed strong signs of healthy bone formation.

Next, the team implanted these membranes into rats with skull defects. Over several weeks, the keratin membranes guided new bone growth across the damaged areas.

While collagen produced more bone overall, the wool-based scaffolds created bone that was more organised and structurally secure. Its fibres were better aligned, closely matching natural, healthy bone.

The membranes also blended seamlessly with surrounding tissue, staying stable throughout the healing process. These are vital qualities for real-world medical use.

Dr Elsharkawy added: "We’ve effectively demonstrated the technology in an animal model, which makes this much more than an early materials concept. It shows that keratin can support bone regeneration in a living biological system, bringing the technology significantly closer to use in real patients."

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OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFICATION: This report is based on official data from University Newsroom. Document: [Scientists turn wool into sustainable material for bone repair | King's College London](https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/scientists-turn-wool-into-sustainable-material-for-bone-repair) Source Link: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/scientists-turn-wool-into-sustainable-material-for-bone-repair