Dr. Mohamed Rahaman was surprised by the question of what makes natural bone and tissue better than simulated bone and tissue that he brough on a broad smile.

“Natural tissue is always better,” Rahaman said through his grin.

Rahaman, a professor of material science engineering, is the director of the Center for Bone and Tissue Repair and Regeneration at Missouri S&T.

The center, which was opened in January, 2008, draws upon several different engineering departments to fulfill its goal; finding effective treatments for bone damage or deterioration.

“What we are doing is building fillers,” Dr. Roger Brown said about the research done at the center.

Brown, a professor of biological science is working on developing a more natural bone replacement.

Bone replacement methods often utilize metal, plastic or bone from other areas in the body to replace deteriorate bones.

The replacement material Brown and other researchers are working on is a “bio-active glass,” which true to its name, utilizes glass with organic materials to create a replacement which will eventually become apart of the bone.

They way Brown put it, it’s like a building that needs work on its foundation. To make sure the building doesn’t collapse while work is being down workers scaffolding is used. When the work is completed, the scaffolding that was holding the building up is taken down.

That, in theory, is how the bone replacement should work, except the implant grows into natural bone material with such things as blood vessels and cells developing in the implant naturally.

The method is still years away from being proven and the effects implanting is not completely known.

"Our bodies are supposed to fight against foreign objects,” Brown said.
That is is where Dr. Chang-Soo Kim, a professor in the electrical and computer engineering department, comes in.

Kim is developing a bio-sensor method, to keep track of biological factors, such as the pH level or oxygen levels, to measure the body’s reaction to a bone replacement.

The technology currently can not be utilized inside a person's body, which is the ultimate goal for Kim.

"Hopefully, I can do it in the near future,” Kim said.

While Kim is hoping to reach a point in the near future where bio-sensors can be implanted internally, Rahaman is concerned with the distant future.

The American population is aging, with 35.9 million people over the age of 65 currently, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with that number expected to more than double by 2050, to about 88.5 million people.

Added to that people are living longer, with life expectancy increasing, Rahaman sees a need for more long lasting bone replacement.

To illustrate the point, Rahaman pulled out a hip socket replacement which is made out of metal. A metal replacement has the shelf-life of 15 years, according to Rahaman. This creates the potential a patient would need to replace the replacement.

The organic bone replacements are meant to last several decades, potentially eliminating the need to have another operation.

But it is not just bone creation Rahaman envisions; it is apart of a tissue engineering.

"I can see areas of tissue engineering having more work done, to create living tissue,” Rahaman said.

Focus of the center: Bone and tissue repair

Created:
Jan. 2008

How many professors in the center:
10 currently, with 15 graduate students.

Who’s interested in the research:
Phelps County Regional Medical Center, the U.S. Army