Jaw-dropping advance in stem cell research

Self-regeneration is taking a bite out of medical problems, according to this report from NewScientist.com.

German doctors were able to help a patient grow a new jawbone using stem cells and a titanium mold attached to his back, the United Kingdom-based online magazine said. Cancer had forced the removal of the original jaw nine years earlier.

The news comes as high-technology support is building for a Nov. 2 California voter initiative that would allocate $3 billion for stem cell and cloning research over the next 10 years. Microsoft's Bill Gates has given $400,000 to help pass Proposition 71, joining eBay founder Omar Omidyar and his wife ($1 million), among other luminaries, the Associated Press reports.

Meanwhile, police confirmed to Reuters that a pipe bomb blast damaged a stem cell research lab in Watertown, Mass., on Thursday. No arrests have been made.