Patent ID: 6949252

Claim:
A method for preparation of an implantable tissue construct for treatment of a lesion of joint cartilage wherein said construct is implanted into a joint lesion of a human or non-human subject, said method comprising steps: a) isolating, culturing and expanding chondrocytes harvested from autologous or heterologous connective tissue; b) preparing an implantable multilayered construct comprising: (i) a first integration layer that is, upon implantation, contacted with a joint lesion in situ and prevents infiltration of blood vessels and cells from underlying bone tissue into an implanted cellular support layer, wherein said integration layer is comprised of an adhesive compound; (ii) a second cellular support layer comprising a matrix to be seeded with cultured and expanded chondrocytes of step a), wherein said matrix is a biodegradable honeycomb-like Type I collagen structure; and (iii) a third protective layer insulating the outer surface of the cellular support layer and protecting said support layer from mechanical or physiological trauma, wherein said protective layer comprises an adhesive compound applied to the cellular support layer before implantation of said cellular support layer or after placing the integration and cellular support layers into the joint or joint lesion; wherein said second cellular support layer is linked by adhesion to the first layer and the third protective layer is linked by adhesion to the second layer; c) seeding said chondrocytes of step a) into said matrix of the second cellular support layer of step b) (ii) wherein said chondrocytes are suspended in a sol-gel and contacted with said matrix; d) treating said seeded matrix of step c) before implantation into said join lesion with cyclic hydrostatic pressure in a range from about 0.01 to 10 MPa at 0.5 Hz for one to thirty days followed with a resting phase in the range of one to sixty days, wherein during said resting phase said seeded matrix is maintained at atmospheric pressure before implantation into the joint; and e) transplanting said three layers of the construct into the joint lesion.