Method for producing oriented connective tissue cells in a ligament configuration
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsRaphael C. Lee, David Huang
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Abstract
The present invention pertains to an oriented tissue-equivalent formed by contracting a collagen solution with connective tissue cells. In the method of the present invention, the contraction of collagen fibrils by the connective tissue cells is restrained along an axis of cell alignment defined by at least two structural members within the gel, whereby the connective tissue cells align along the axis thereby producing an oriented tissue-equivalent. In a preferred embodiment fibroblast cells are used to contract a collagen gel to form connective tissue into a ligament configuration.
Claims5
A method for producing connective tissue having a ligament configuration, comprising:
- forming a collagen gel having living fibroblasts dispersed therein;
- placing in said gel two porous posts;
- contacting the collagen gel with a crosslinking agent;
- and
- elevating the temperature of the gel to induce contraction of the gel by the fibroblast cells such that the gel orients along the axis between the two posts in a ligament configuration.
Connective tissue having a ligament configuration obtainable by the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a collagen gel having living fibroblasts dispersed therein;
- placing in said gel two porous posts;
- contacting the collagen gel with a crosslinking agent;
- and
- elevating the temperature of the gel to induce contraction of the gel by the fibroblast cells such that the gel orients along the axis between the two posts in a ligament configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.