Military wants a body-part bank for instant injury repair

She sure looks tough. But soldiers aren't immortal...yet.

If you’re an extreme athlete, tired of dealing with skinned knees, sore muscles and – the worst! – chronic injuries, this military project is for you.

Over at Danger Room, I reported on a new initiative led by Darpa, the military agency responsible for the weirdest research projects your tax dollars have ever seen. For years, they’ve been on the prowl for science that can turn soldiers into superhumans – including a little foray into Atkins dieting a few years back.

But Dr. Atkins is dead, and I’m guessing troops are still eating carbs. And they need the energy: the military’s been throwing billions into new uber-computers and flying drones that can outdo us mere mortals. For troops to live forever, they need a body with replaceable parts, akin to those machines that are taking on ever-increasing workloads at army bases and in combat.

Nothing a little stem cell technology can’t solve. Earlier this year, researchers funded by Darpa generated new human muscle that could replace damaged tissue. Now Darpa’s asking for a device that can use adult stem cells for a regenerative free-for-all: pumping out whatever needed to repair injured body parts, including nerves, bone and skin. They want something transportable that can be easily sterilized…and, obviously, take undifferentiated cells and transform them into highly specified ones that create complex body parts.

A whopping 85 percent of wartime injuries cause damage to the extremities and face, leading to lengthy stints in rehab and permanent disability. By creating a lab system that can reproduce tissues with the same structural and mechanical properties as the real thing, Darpa hope to eliminate those injuries entirely. And make better versions: desired results will  “replace, restore or improve tissue/organ function.”

But don’t toss your tensor bandages yet. First up is animal testing and years of approval procedures. And then the military has first dibs – though Darpa’s solicitation foresees eventual civilian use. But I kinda doubt this one will be covered by your health insurance for the next few decades…