Grow a Finger with Pig Dust

Lee Spievack sliced half an inch off the top of one of his finger and after he sprinkled some “pixie dust” the finger grow back.

The “pixie dust” is extra-cellular matrix, full off collagen and is made from dried pig’s bladder. Originally “pixie dust” was created to regenerate damaged ligaments in horses but Lee’s brother Alan who is researching tissue regeneration convinced him to sprinkle "pixie dust"

The U.S. Army Military is working with University of Pittsburgh scientists who developed the pixie dust to find a way to allow injured soldiers to regrow lost fingers, skin, and even whole limbs.

Spievack lost the finger in 2005 when it got caught in the propeller of a model plane. He did not want a skin graft, opting instead to try the “pixie dust.” Spievack said that his finger even has a fingernail and fingerprint.

Collagen gives skin strength and elasticity and is thought that the dust kick-starts the body's natural healing process by sending out signals that mobilize the body's own cells into repairing the damaged tissue.

 

Source: Daily Mail