What if something as ordinary as sheep’s wool could help repair damaged bone?
Researchers at King’s College London are exploring exactly that possibility. They are using keratin, a structural protein found in wool, to create membranes that can support bone regeneration. The researchers chemically treated wool-derived keratin to create stable and durable scaffolds. These membranes were first tested with human bone cells in the laboratory. The cells showed good survival and signs of bone formation.
Researchers are exploring keratin, a protein naturally found in wool, as a biomaterial for bone regeneration. Wool-derived keratin can be processed into scaffolds that support bone-forming cells. In animal studies, these materials promoted new bone formation and produced more organised bone tissue in certain areas.
Why is this exciting? Wool is natural, renewable and widely available making keratin an interesting alternative for developing sustainable biomaterials.
The potential applications include bone repair, orthopaedics and dental regeneration. However, the research is still at the experimental stage, and human studies are needed before it can become a routine treatment.
Sometimes, medical innovation begins with materials we never expected to use.
Would you trust a wool-derived material to help repair your bone?
MBH/PS