Bone grafts may become obsolete, thanks to new biomedical material

Image: Look College of Engineering

Some broken bones are difficult to heal, as are some bone defects. But a team led by a Texas A&M University biomedical engineer is working on a new material that encourages cells to create new bone.

The material could change how medical professionals treat fractured bones that now require bone grafts, according to Akhilesh Gaharwar, an assistant professor in the Dwight Look College of Engineering.

The team detailed its finding in the scientific journal ACS Nano. The project is supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.