Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital are moving closer to being able to regrow human limbs, by using cells to attempt to regrow a monkey arm.

CNN reports the MGH scientists hope to refine the technology used to develop a monkey arm to eventually use human cells to make limbs that can be transplanted in humans.

"There are no good options to replace lost limbs," said Harald Ott, director of the organ repair and regeneration lab at MGH, in Boston, who is leading this research.

About 185,000 amputations occur each year in the U.S., and more than 2 million people are currently living with limb loss, according to the Amputee Coalition.

Ott's ambitious technique involves creating limbs made up of cells from the amputee's own body to produce an arm or leg tailored to them and therefore unlikely to be attacked by their immune system.

"If it works out you could regenerate ... on demand," said Ott.

So far, Ott has managed to use this technique to grow organs and regenerate the arm of a rat in his lab. He now plans to try the technique to regrow a monkey arm.