| abstract |
Living fibrocytes are combined with rotator cuff extracellular matrix obtained from recently deceased human or animal donors to eliminate pain in patients with tendonitis and other rotator cuff deficiencies. According to the method, fibrocytes from a living donor, preferably the patient, and rotator cuff tissue is harvested from a recently deceased human or animal donor in a manner which retains the extracellular matrix. The harvested cells are combined with the extracellular matrix to produce an engineered rotator cuff tissue, which is then transplanted into or onto a patient's rotator cuff to be repaired. Additional therapeutic substances such as culture medium, growth factors, differentiation factors, hydrogels, polymers, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, or immunosuppressive medications could be added to the transplanted annulus fibrosis tissue. In like fashion, the processes described herein may be used to repair or replace other tissues or organs of the body such as the pancreas, liver, kidney, heart, etc. Healthy live cells would be obtained thorough biopsy and tissue culture. The live cells would be added to the extracellular matrix of tissues or organs harvested to recently deceased human or animals. |