This post was originally published on this siteScientists have discovered that blood circulating around the body contains bone-like particles. They found the particles in blood samples from healthy humans and rats. New research finds bone-like particles in the blood vessels. They suggest that the bone-like particles could be evidence of ossification in bone marrow vessels. The team also proposes that the particles may contribute to conditions such as atherosclerosis, a process that causes plaques, or deposits of fats and other substances, to build up inside arteries. A recent paper in the journal Microcirculation gives a detailed account of the study. Although most of the bone-like particles were very small, a significant proportion were large enough “to block small blood vessels throughout the vascular tree,” write the authors. The study follows previous research that uncovered a process in bone marrow whereby blood vessels “progressively and … Continue reading →