Scientists turn sheep’s wool into a material that helps regrow bone

Scientists have discovered that wool can be transformed into a material capable of aiding in the regrowth of bone. The study concentrated on keratin, a natural protein found in wool that can be extracted and utilized. Initially tested in a living organism, the material proved to support bone regeneration and produce new tissue that more closely resembled healthy bone than traditional materials used in the field.

At King's College London, researchers evaluated the wool-derived keratin in animal models and discovered its potential in directing new bone growth in damaged areas. Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy, from King's Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, expressed enthusiasm over being able to demonstrate, for the first time, the successful application of a wool-based material in a living animal for bone repair.

Beyond its potential medical advantages, wool presents a noteworthy sustainability benefit. As a naturally derived material, wool is often discarded as waste by the farming industry, positioning it as a renewable and scalable resource. For many years, collagen has been regarded as the gold standard scaffold in various regenerative medical and dental applications.

However, collagen has certain drawbacks, such as being relatively weak and degrading too rapidly, which may limit its effectiveness in repairing bones that need to support weight or endure force. Additionally, the extraction of collagen can be complex and expensive.

This research marks a significant milestone, positioning keratin as a potential new category of regenerative biomaterial that could challenge the prevailing reliance on collagen. The researchers created membranes from keratin extracted from wool and chemically treated the material to produce durable scaffolds. These membranes were initially tested with human bone cells in a laboratory setting, where the cells grew well and showed signs of healthy bone formation.

Next, the researchers implanted the keratin membranes into rats with skull defects that were too extensive to heal naturally. Over the following weeks, they monitored the membranes' effectiveness in promoting new bone growth across the damaged regions. The findings revealed that collagen membranes produced a larger amount of bone overall, but the keratin scaffolds produced more organized and structurally secure bone tissue.

Its fibers were also better aligned, bringing the new tissue closer to its resemblance to natural, healthy bone. The keratin membranes also remained stable during the healing process and integrated smoothly with the surrounding tissue, which are crucial factors for the material's potential use in practical medical applications. Dr. Elsharkawy concluded that they have effectively demonstrated the technology in an animal model, bringing the technology closer to use in real patients.