| abstract |
This invention provides a nucleic acid encoding SMAD protein variant, cells which express SMAD protein variant.. This invention further provides SMAD-8 protein variant and nucleic acid which encodes for the SMAD-8 variant. Lastly, the invention provides methods of ex-vivo implantation of cells, including mesenchymal stem cells, progenitor cells, cells derived from a ligament or a tendon of a subject in need or any other cell that can engraft into ligament and tendon and differentiate to tendocyte/ligament cell, which are further engineered to express Variant SMAD proteinor the SMAD-8 protein variant. |