Patent ID: 7476257
Filing Date: 2009-01-13
Classification: A61F,A61K,A61L,C12N

Abstract:
1. A cultured, stratified cartilage tissue construct which is malleable such that it may be press fitted into a cartilage defect during surgical repair, said construct consisting essentially of at least two cartilage layers selected from the group consisting of: (i) a cartilage layer having chondrogenic cells wherein the chondrogenic cells consist essentially of chondrogenic cells having a chondrocytic phenotype corresponding to chondrocytes present in the superficial-tangential zone of natural cartilage, wherein the layer is formed by culturing said cells in an alginate medium such that the cells form a cell-associated matrix, and dissociating the cells together with the cell-associated matrix from the alginate to produce the cartilage layer; (ii) a cartilage layer having chondrogenic cells wherein the chondrogenic cells consist essentially of chondrogenic cells having a chondrocytic phenotype corresponding to chondrocytes present in the middle-transitional zone of natural cartilage, wherein the layer is formed by culturing said cells in an alginate medium such that the cells form a cell-associated matrix, and dissociating the cells together with the cell-associated matrix from the alginate to produce the cartilage layer; and (iii) a cartilage layer having chondrogenic cells wherein the chondrogenic cells consist essentially of chondrogenic cells having a chondrocytic phenotype corresponding to chondrocytes present in the deep-radial zone of natural cartilage, wherein the layer is formed by culturing said cells in an alginate medium such that the cells form a cell-associated matrix, and dissociating the cells together with the cell-associated matrix from the alginate to produce the cartilage layer; wherein the construct is formed by associating the at least two layers into a stratified cohesive cartilage construct.