A new type of drug is being developed that may help bones heal faster and better. Using bone samples from people undergoing hip replacement surgery, the researchers were able to show that the drug – a protein that activates a molecular pathway called the ‘Wnt’ pathway – causes stem cells found within bones to divide and to turn into more bone cells The Wnt pathway is found throughout the animal kingdom – from sponges to humans – and it plays a fundamental role in animal development and disease. It is involved in controlling the growth of stem cells, which are ‘master cells’ that help restore tissues after injury.