Tiny, Previously Undiscovered Capillaries May Exist Inside People's Bones
By Yasemin Saplakoglu, Staff Writer | January 22, 2019 04:52pm ET
Our bones may be filled with previously undiscovered networks of microscopic tunnels, a new study finds.
These tiny tunnels spotted in lab mice and traces of it in one inquisitive researcher may be vital for transporting immune cells out of bones, where they are made.
In the study, researchers found hundreds of previously unknown capillaries the tiniest blood vessels in the body in the leg bones of mice. The discovery of something in mice, however, doesn't necessarily mean it exists in humans, and there can often be a long period between an animal discovery and confirmation of the findings in humans.
Not so in this case: One of the (human) researchers decided to jump-start the human studies, so he stuck his leg in an MRI machine and spotted evidence that the tiny bone tunnels might also exist in humans.
More:
https://www.livescience.com/64563-new-capillary-network-discovered.html