Jennifer Matthews: Scientist Rutledge Ellis-Behnke is trying to fix injured brains.
Rutledge Ellis-Behnke: There really hasn't been anything that will allow for the reconnection of disconnected parts of the brain.
Jennifer Matthews: He's getting closer. By injecting tiny strings of amino acids in the brain, he is actually re-growing nerve cells. The strings form a framework for nerves to grow across.
Rutledge Ellis-Behnke: You inject this into the area that has been injured in the brain and it forms a gel. And it actually causes the brain to heal itself.
Jennifer Matthews: It worked on hamsters with lost vision.
Rutledge Ellis-Behnke: We saw healing of the brain, which we have never seen before. 75% of the animals had returned to functional vision, so they had actual return of sight.
Jennifer Matthews: Across the country, Dr. James Cook is fixing another body part. His work to fix bad knees in dogs will soon help humans.
Dr. James Cook: The biggest problems right now with total joint replacements of any joint in both species are just the second you put it in, it's really degenerating. It's wearing out.
Jennifer Matthews: Instead of metal and plastic, Cook creates biological implants with living cells.
James Cook: We take those cells and we actually grow them to start to make a tissue and then we prepare them to go back in your body.
Jennifer Matthews: Before they're implanted, the cells are exercised in the lab.
James Cook: Then, they actually transform from being cells that are just in a Petri dish to cartilage that would work in your knee.
Jennifer Matthews: The implants are already helping dogs like Maci. In humans, they'll also heal bad hips and hands. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services