Tissue Products Derived From Animals Lacking Any Expression of Functional Alpha 1, 3 Galactosyltransferase

Abstract

The present invention provides tissues derived from animals, which lack any expression of functional alpha 1,3 galactosyltransferase (alpha-1,3-GT). Such tissues can be used in the field of xenotransplantation, such as orthopedic reconstruction and repair, skin repair and internal tissue repair or as medical devices.

1 . A prosthesis comprising a tissue product derived from an animal lacking any expression of alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase. 
     
     
         2 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue is a hard tissue. 
     
     
         3 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue is a soft tissue. 
     
     
         4 . The animal of  claim 1 , wherein the animal is an ungulate. 
     
     
         5 . The animal of  claim 4 , wherein the ungulate is a porcine animal. 
     
     
         6 . The prosthesis of  claim 2 , wherein the hard tissue is bone or a fragment or derivative thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The prosthesis of  claim 3 , wherein the soft tissue is selected from the group consisting of skin, dermal, submucosal, ligament, tendon and cartilage or a fragment or derivative thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue is a combination of hard and soft tissue. 
     
     
         9 . The tissue of  claim 8 , wherein the tissue is a bone-tendon-bone graft. 
     
     
         10 . A de-cellularized tissue product derived from an animal lacking any expression of alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase. 
     
     
         11 . The tissue of  claim 9 , wherein the animal is an ungulate. 
     
     
         12 . The tissue of  claim 10 , wherein the animal is a porcine animal. 
     
     
         13 . The de-cellularized tissue of  claim 9 , wherein the tissue is soft tissue. 
     
     
         14 . The tissue of  claim 9 , wherein the soft tissue is dermal tissue. 
     
     
         15 . The tissue of  claim 9 , wherein the soft tissue is submucosal tissue. 
     
     
         16 . The tissue of  claim 11 , wherein the submucosal tissue derived from the small intestine. 
     
     
         17 . The use of the tissue of  claim 9  as a scaffold. 
     
     
         18 . A method to reconstruct or repair a human body part comprising a tissue product derived from an animal lacking any expression of alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the animal is an ungulate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the animal is a porcine animal. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the tissue is used for human orthopedic reconstruction or repair. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the tissue is used for rotator cuff repair. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the tissue for the repair or reconstruction is selected from the group consisting of bone, tendon, ligament and cartilage. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the tissue is a bone-tendon-bone graft. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the tissue is used for human skin repair. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the tissue is used for human soft tissue repair. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the tissue is de-cellularized. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the de-cellularized tissue is used a scaffold to reconstruct or repair a human body part.