Composition and method for the repair and regeneration of cartilage and other tissues

Abstract

The present invention relates to a new method for repairing human or animal tissues such as cartilage, meniscus, ligament, tendon, bone, skin, cornea, periodontal tissues, abscesses, resected tumors, and ulcers. The method comprises the step of introducing into the tissue a temperature-dependent polymer gel composition such that the composition adhere to the tissue and promote support for cell proliferation for repairing the tissue. Other than a polymer, the composition preferably comprises a blood component such as whole blood, processed blood, venous blood, arterial blood, blood from bone, blood from bone-marrow, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placenta blood, erythrocytes, leukocytes, monocytes, platelets, fibrinogen, thrombin and platelet rich plasma. The present invention also relates to a new composition to be used with the method of the present invention.

1 . A method for repair and/or regeneration in cartilaginous tissue comprising administering at a site of the cartilaginous tissue in need of repair an effective amount of a polymer composition comprising: 
 a polymer; and    blood,    wherein the polymer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a polysaccharide, a protein, and a polyamino acid, and further    wherein when the polymer is combined with blood the polymer composition is converted into a non-liquid state in time or upon heating such that the polymer composition when placed at the site in need of repair the polymer composition will adhere to the site in need of repair to effect reconstruction or bulking of the tissue and/or regeneration thereof.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharide is a modified or natural polysaccharide.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of chitosan, chitin, hyaluronan, glycosaminoglycan, chondroitin sulfate, keratin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, heparin, and heparin sulfate.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharide is chitosan.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cartilaginous tissue is selected from the group consisting of cartilage, meniscus, ligament and tendon.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the protein is a natural, recombinant or synthetic protein.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said protein is a polyamino acid.  
     
     
         8 . A method for repair and/or regeneration in cartilaginous tissue comprising administering at a site of the cartilaginous tissue in need of repair an effective amount of a polymer composition comprising: 
 a polymer; and    blood,    wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, a synthetic homo and block copolymers containing carboxylic, amino, sulfonic, phosphonic, phosphenic functionalities with or without additional functionalities, and further    wherein when the polymer is combined with blood the polymer composition is converted into a non-liquid state in time or upon heating such that the polymer composition when placed at the site in need of repair the polymer composition will adhere to the site in need of repair to effect reconstruction or bulking of the tissue and/or regeneration thereof.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the additional functionalities are selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, thiol, alkoxy, aryloxy, acyloxy, and aroloxy.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition is dissolved or suspended in a buffer containing organic or inorganic salts.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the inorganic salts are selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride or phosphates, sulfates or carboxylates of potassium, calcium and magnesium.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer composition has a pH between 6.5 and 7.8.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer solution has an osmolarity adjusted to a physiological value between 250 mOsm/L and 600 mOsm/L.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blood is anticoagulated  
     
     
         15 . A method for repair and/or regeneration in cartilaginous tissue comprising administering at a site of the cartilaginous tissue in need of repair an effective amount of a thermogelling composition comprising: 
 chitosan;    glycerol phosphate; and    blood,    wherein the thermogelling composition is converted into a non-liquid state in time or upon heating, said composition once converted into a non-liquid state adheres to the site in need of repair when placed thereon to effect reconstruction or bulking of the tissue and/or regeneration thereof.    
     
     
         16 . The method of claim  32 , wherein cartilaginous tissue is selected from the group consisting of cartilage, meniscus, ligament and tendon.  
     
     
         17 . The method of claim  32 , wherein said polymer composition has a pH between 6.5 and 7.8, and wherein said chitosan is in solution at said pH.  
     
     
         18 . The method of claim  32 , wherein said polymer solution has an osmolarity adjusted to a physiological value between 250 mOsm/L and 600 mOsm/L.  
     
     
         19 . The method of claim  32 , wherein the blood is anticoagulated.  
     
     
         20 . The method of claim  32 , wherein the blood further comprises an anticoagulant selected from the group consisting of citrate, heparin or EDTA.