Patent ID: 7465566

Claim:
A method of treating injured or diseased tissue, comprising the steps of: generating a signal having a frequency of approximately 60 kHz that when applied to a field generating device operatively disposed with respect to the injured or diseased tissue causes the generation of an electric field having an amplitude of about 10-40 mV/cm in the injured or diseased tissue that is specific and selective for substantially up-regulating the gene expression of at least one target gene encoding for aggrecan of the injured or diseased tissue when said electric field is applied to the injured or diseased tissue containing said at least one target gene; and exposing an articular chrondrocyte of the injured or diseased tissue to the specific and selective electric field generated by said field generating device upon the application of said signal thereto for a predetermined duration of time of approximately ½ hour per 24 hour period at a predetermined duty cycle selected so as to selectively up-regulate expression of said at least one target gene encoding for aggrecan in said injured or diseased tissue.