Saving face! Facial bones grown from FAT used to repair jaws of pigs and could help reconstruct features of accident victims

It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase'saving face'. Living bone grown from stem cells found in fat could soon be used to help reconstruct the faces of people injured in accidents or who have undergone cancer surgery. Scientists have for the first time grown large sections of bone in the laboratory before implanting them into pigs to repair damage to their jaws. The bone was grown on a scaffold inside a bioreactor (pictured) that kept it under mechanical strain to ensure it grew in a way that would be similar to bone grown in the body. The researchers say the implants can precisely replicate the original anatomical structure of the facial bone they are replacing, meaning facial features can be restored.