Methods of generating, repairing and/or maintaining connective tissue in vivo

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for generating, repairing and/or maintaining connective tissue in a subject. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method for generating, repairing and/or maintaining cartilage tissue in a subject. The present invention also relates to a method of treating and/or preventing a disease in a subject arising from degradation and inflammation of connective tissue.

1 . A method of treating or preventing a disease in a subject arising from degradation or inflammation of connective tissue, the method comprising administering to the subject a population of cells enriched for STRO-1 +  MPCs or progeny cells thereof. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the connective tissue is rich in proteoglycans. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the connective tissue is cartilage. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the disease results in one or more defects in the cartilage. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the population is not directly administered into a cartilage defect. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the population is administered to a joint space. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the joint space is in a knee joint, hip joint, ankle joint, shoulder joint, elbow joint, wrist joint, hand or finger joint or a joint of the foot, or an intervertebral disc joint. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the population is administered by intra-articular injection. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the administration of the population results in preservation or generation of cartilage that is rich in proteoglycans. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the cartilage that is rich in proteoglycans is hyaline cartilage. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the disease is tendonitis, back pain, rotary cuff tendon degradation, Carpal tunnel syndrome, DeQuervain's syndrome, degenerative cervical and/or lumbar discs, intersection syndrome, reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS), stenosing tenosynovitis, epicondylitis, tenosynovitis, thoracic outlet syndrome, ulnar nerve entrapment, radial tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury (RSI), osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, seronegative 5 arthritis, arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease or ankylosing spondylitis and degenerate intervertebral disc disorders. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  which further comprises administering hyaluronic acid (HA). 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A composition comprising;
 i) a population of cells enriched of STRO-1 +  MPCs and/or progeny cells thereof, and   ii) hyaluronic acid.   
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the population is a population enriched for STRO-1 bright  MPCs. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the STRO-1 +  MPCs are TNAP + .