There’s been some exciting breakthroughs in the world of regenerative medicine. About three years ago, Lee Spievack sliced off the tip of his finger in the propeller of a hobby shop airplane.

His brother, Alan, a medical research specialist, sent him a special powder with instructions to sprinkle it on his wound. What happened next is truly a marvel of modern medicine: in only four weeks, his finger grew back.

Lee jokes that while he has a 69 year old body, the tip of his finger is only 2 and a half.

Wyatt Andrews of CBS news has the story:

This powder is a medical product called extracellular matrix. Made from pig bladders, it’s a mix of protein and connective tissue surgeons often use to repair tendons. But it’s the matrix’s unusual power to regenerate tissue that’s help launch a new field called regenerative medicine.

Hit play or watch at CBS.

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Update: Hold the phone for just one minute. The Guardian is reporting that this story is not all it’s cracked up to be. Now don’t I feel silly.