Stem cells can be used to treat babies with brittle bone disease, even before they are born, according to results of a study funded by Action Medical Research, a UK charity.

In a press release, the charity said the findings of the study undertaken at the Imperial College, London were indeed extraordinary.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), called the brittle bone disease, affects babies whilst they are inside their mother’s womb. This is because collagen, one of the main building blocks for bone, fails to develop properly.

The disease is detected by DNA testing or ultrasound before birth and leads to weak bones and stunted growth.

The team, led by Professor Nicholas Fisk, transplanted specially manipulated stem cells into 14-day-old mouse fetuses that had OI. These mice had a reduction in long bone fractures of two thirds, compared with an untreated group, by the time they were twelve weeks old.

They also found that the bones of these mice were stronger, thicker and longer than those with the disease that had not received the transplants.

These outstanding results suggest that, with further research, this treatment could be translated to human babies in pregnancies that are affected by OI.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta varies in its impact; from a mildy affected child who is susceptible to fractures (Type I), to a severely affected baby that suffers multiple fractures in the womb and has little chance of survival (Type II).