Prof Alastair Sloan, an expert in bone biology and tissue engineering at Cardiff University, said the work was significant but there remained many hurdles before it would be available to patients.

BBC: Researchers grow teeth from gum cells

In particular, the potential for mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to differentiate into multiple phenotypes - like fat, cartilage and bone - make them ideal building blocks for bone and cartilage tissue engineering in orthopaedics and rheumatology.

UNESCO: 2010 UK and Ireland Winners