The method uses patient stem cells to grow a cartilage that adheres to a biodegradable scaffold modeled on that patient’s joint. The cartilage is capable of producing anti-inflammatory cells, and the researchers found the lab-made joint demonstrated uniform tissue growth while maintaining proper anatomic shape throughout the study.
“Our findings show that advanced textile manufacturing combined with scaffold-mediated gene delivery can be used to tissue engineer large anatomically shaped cartilage constructs that possess controlled delivery of anticytokine therapy,” the authors concluded. “Importantly, these cartilage constructs have the potential to provide mechanical functionality immediately upon implantation, as they will need to replace a majority, if not the entire joint surface to restore function.”
The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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