December 19th, 2004
Tissue Engineering For Knee Cartilage
(From Newswise). Human trials are to begin for a regenerative therapy to regrow damaged cartilage in the knee. "When torn or damaged, the meniscus typically does not heal on its own, and the damaged portion is removed and not replaced. While current surgical techniques solve the short-term problem, osteoarthritis inevitably develops several years later." Via the new approach of "tissue engineering and biological stimulation through the implantation of a scaffold derived from pig intestines, we show the tissue where it needs to grow. ... In our animal studies, we have been able to grow back 90 percent of the meniscus on average." This is a good example of a simple, important repair for aging bodies made possible by the advance of medicine.