Redifferentiated cells for repairing cartilage defects

Abstract

A redifferentiated dermal fibroblast cell that exhibits at least one characteristic of a chondrocyte. A proteoglycan is used to induce re-differentiation of the cell. In some embodiments, the cell expresses of at least one cartilage proteoglycan marker. The proteoglycan may comprise aggrecan and the cell may differentiate from the fibroblast along the chondrogenic lineage. A method of inducing chondrogenesis in a fibroblast cell comprises culturing the fibroblast cell on a surface containing at least one cartilage-derived proteoglycan other than perlecan. A three-dimensional scaffold may be coated with the proteoglycan and seeded with fibroblast cells. The fibroblast cells may be contacted with at least one chondrogenic growth factor or cytokine prior to said culturing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.