Expert scientists are on the verge of discovering how to grow human limbs which could one day attach to the bodies of amputees.

Led by mastermind young Austrian surgeon Harald Ott, the team at Massachusetts General Hospital are aiming to create the first ever 'bio-limb' to be attached to a monkey.

They've already performed such a feat on lab rats, and believe that if their primate experiment proves successful then they'll have a working blueprint with which to advance the process even further - adapting it to the human body.

Led by mastermind young Austrian surgeon Harald Ott, the Boston based team are aiming to create the first ever 'bio-limb' to be attached to a monkey

Vermont College of Medicine lung expert Daniel Weiss told The Times: This is science fiction come to life.

'Harald is a bright young man and he is setting the world on its edge with the things he comes up with.'

The operation sees scientists use a powerful detergent to get rid of a donor limb's soft tissues - killing all its cells - leaving only a 'scaffold' of blood vessels, muscles, tendons and bones.

They've already performed such a feat on lab rats, and believe that if their primate experiment proves successful then they'll have a working blueprint with which to advance the process even further

The operation sees scientists use a powerful detergent to get rid of a donor limb's soft tissues - killing all its cells - leaving only a 'scaffold' of blood vessels, muscles, tendons and bones

New cells are then grown in the lab, which form blood or muscle cells with the limb, allowing it to adapt and mould to the body without being attacked by the immune system.

The team have already used the technique - derived by Dr Ott - to create an arm for a rat.

They are now trying to do the same for a macaque, with expectations high.

The Boston lab has already grown cells to help create human organs, and firmly believe they are on track to being able to do the same for limbs

The team have already used the technique - derived by Dr Ott - to create an arm for a rat

Dr Weiss admitted, however, that the step up from rodent to monkey offered many challenges.

He said: 'There is just a lot more that primate limbs can do.

'Opposable thumbs, for one thing.'