Tissue Regeneration

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of treating a tissue defect in a human or animal body comprising the steps of implanting into said body an unseeded scaffold; allowing or effecting a wound healing response at the site of said defect; allowing said scaffold to be vascularized until a substantially sufficient fluid flow through said scaffold is assured for the transport of nutrients and/or waste products, and seeding said vascularised scaffold with a suitable population of tissue-regenerating cells.

1 . A method of treating a tissue defect in a human or animal body comprising the steps of:
 implanting into said body an unseeded scaffold;   allowing or effecting a wound healing response at the site of said defect;   allowing said scaffold to be vascularized until a substantially sufficient fluid flow through said scaffold is assured for the transport of nutrients and/or waste products, and   seeding said vascularised scaffold with a suitable population of tissue-regenerating cells.   
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said tissue defect is a bone defect. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said scaffold is a biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffold. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said wound healing response is brought about by a wound resulting from a trauma. 
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said wound healing response results in the recruitment of tissue-regenerating cells from the body. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said scaffold comprises angiogenese stimulating factors selected from the group consisting of angiomotin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), autotaxin [ATX (NPP-2)], epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs), Mts-1 protein; basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or prostatropin; transforming growth factors (TGFs) and nitric oxide (NO). 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said scaffold is allowed to be vascularized for a period of between 3 days and 3 months. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said tissue-regenerating cells are mesenchymal stem cells. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 8 , wherein said mesenchymal stem cells are induced to form osteoblasts. 
     
     
         10 . Use of a method according to  claim 1  for the reconstruction of bone.