Doctors grow new jaw in man's back

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/08/27/jaw.transplant.ap/index.html

Doctors grow new jaw in man's back
Saturday, August 28, 2004 Posted: 8:57 AM EDT (1257 GMT)


Arrows show a titanium cage, in which patient's new jaw was grown, implanted under his shoulder blade.






In a groundbreaking procedure, German doctors grew a new jawbone under a man's arm using a jaw-shaped form and stem cells. ITN's Sue Saville reports. (August 28)


LONDON, England (AP) -- A German who had his lower jaw cut out because of cancer has enjoyed his first meal in nine years -- a bratwurst sandwich -- after surgeons grew a new jaw bone in his back muscle and transplanted it to his mouth in what experts call an "ambitious'' experiment.

According to this week's issue of The Lancet medical journal, the German doctors used a mesh cage, a growth chemical and the patient's own bone marrow, containing stem cells, to create a new jaw bone that fit exactly into the gap left by the cancer surgery.

Tests have not been done yet to verify whether the bone was created by the blank-slate stem cells and it is too early to tell whether the jaw will function normally in the long term. <snip>

now can they do the same thing with a new brain for bushie?

The repubs have been growing entire new heads by implanting pseudo-brain cells between the gluteus maximus muscles for years.