Patent ID: 8795728

Claim:
An injectable graft composition for myocardial tissue regeneration, said composition comprising acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) from a mammalian tissue source comprising small intestine submucosa, said ECM comprising native proteoglycans, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), said ECM further comprising an exogenously added supplemental bioactive component comprising a fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), said FGF-2 comprising greater than 0.1% by weight of said composition, said FGF-2 being linked to a molecule in the ECM, wherein said FGF-2 interacts with said proteoglycans to control and enhance matrix formation and remodeling, wherein, when said composition is administered to damaged cardiovascular tissue, said composition induces stem cell proliferation and differentiation of stem cells into cardiomyocytes.