Military-funded research is already behind some of the most cutting-edge regenerative science. Extreme projects, like bone-fusing cement and muscle-growing cell scaffolds, are rolling into human trials thanks to a $12 million Pentagon grant earlier this year, and Darpa-funded scientists have made rapid strides toward regrowing human limbs.

But the military's not done yet: The Office of the Secretary of Defense is soliciting small business proposals for two new projects to transform the regeneration of damaged tissue and cartilage, which afflict 85 percent of injured troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The first program would, if successful, replace skin grafting that transplants tissue from one's own body, or a donor, to an injured area. Instead, medics could use "an advanced topical delivery system" that spurs the regeneration of damaged, degenerated tissue. Grafting poses plenty of challenges, not the least of which is adequate supply – especially when, as the solicitation notes, degenerated musculoskeletal tissues "represent the most common cause of pain and disability worldwide." Skin grafts are also vulnerable to rejection and infection.

Military-funded researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are already testing a spray-on regeneration technique, to deliver stem cells and epidermal progenitor cells that stimulate the body's own repair systems. Because a topical solution would be easily applied, the solicitation notes, a patient could receive sustained low doses to stimulate ongoing recovery.

Cartilage injuries, though, are even tougher to treat. Because cartilage plays a key role in facial features, damage from traumatic injuries can cause "severe psychological problems," not to mention pose challenges for eating and breathing. Prosthetic devices limit functionality, and engineered cartilage is prone to scarring and deformities.

The military wants a better approach, and they've got some lofty goals. The technology should "elicit little if any scar formation," maintain complete structural integrity and be fully functional. That's a little tougher than topical stem cell ointment: the solicitation anticipates some combination of "biomaterials, tissue engineering, [and] cell therapy."

Photo: U.S. Air Force

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