In vivo synthesis of connective tissues

Patent Number: 7,375,077

The current invention teaches the generation of connective tissue in vivo.  Specifically, stem cells that have been differentiated into connective tissue cells, such as fibroblasts, are placed in a scaffold, with two other scaffolds surrounding the scaffold containing the cells.  The two other scaffolds on the top and the bottom of the middle scaffold contain growth factors and differentiation factors.  Once this whole thing is implanted, it generates connective tissue in vivo.

Three independent claims are provided.

The first covers a multi-layered scaffold that can be implanted in vivo, with the scaffold made of a gelatin layer (middle) sandwiched between two collagen sponge layers or one collagen sponge layer sandwiched between two gelatin layers. 

The second independent claim covers "a composition" made of progenitor cells implanted into a scaffold made of a middle gelatin layer sandwhiched between two collagen sponge layers.  The collagen sponge layers contain a protein that belongs to the transforming growth factor beta family, which is present at a sufficient amount to stimulate the proliferation/differentiation of the progenitor cells in the gelatin layer.

The third independent claim covers again a "composition" but this time instead of selecting progenitor cells, the composition is made of fibroblastic cells.

View this patent on the USPTO website.