787 results about "Precursor cell" patented technology

Apparatus and methods for injecting biological agents into tissue. Devices are provided having elongate shafts and distal injection heads for driving needles into tissue and injecting medical agents into the tissue through the needles. A longitudinal force directed along the shaft can be translated to a needle driving force. Some devices provide controllably variable needle penetration depth. Devices include mechanical needle drivers utilizing four link pantographs, rack and pinions, and drive yokes for driving a first needle bearing body toward a second tissue contacting body. Other devices include inflatable members for driving and retracting needles. Still other devices include magnets for biasing the needles in extended and / or retracted positions. The invention includes minimally invasive methods for epicardially injecting cardiocyte precursor cells into infarct myocardial tissue.

A method of enriching mesenchymal precursor sells including the step of enriching for cells based on at least two markers. The markers may be either i) the presence of markers specific for mesenchymal precursor cells, ii) the absence of markers specific for differentiated mesenchymal cells, or iii) expression levels of markers specific for mesenchymal precursor cells. The method may include a first solid phase sorting step utilizing MACS recognizing expression of the antigen to the STRO-1 Mab, followed by a second sorting step utilizing two color FACS to screen for the presence of high level STRO-1 antigen expression as well as the expression of VCAM-1.

The present invention provides a scaffold in which cells can be stably retained and grafted in a uniform distribution state in the culture, preferable proliferation ability and viability can be secured, and particularly in the case of cartilage, fixation treatment such as suture can be carried out in the transplantation into affected parts after the culture, and the mechanical strength is provided sustainable for (weighted) compression at the initial stage of transplantation.The present invention relates to a 3-dimensional porous scaffold for tissue regenerationwhich comprises a structure composed of vertically long-shaped pores having a pore diameter of not less than 10 μm to not more than 500 μm and pore length of not less than 20 μm to not more than 1 cm being juxtaposedly arrangedobtained by a production process comprising rapid freeze-drying as a key technology.Further, the invention relates to the above 3-dimensional porous scaffold in which seeding properties of cells are improved by a pore enlargement treatment of one side face by a separation operation, a salt elution operation of a surface part, or a combination of these operations. It becomes possible to produce a 3-dimensional cell combination having excellent degree of tissue formation and medical treatment effect by seeding a cell or precursor cell derived from a tissue in this scaffold, and culturing them in an artificial environment and / or the living body.

The in vivo synthesis of connective tissue by fibroblast or fibroblast precursor cells ensconced within a biocompatible scaffold is disclosed. The cells are preferably present in a biocompatible scaffold such as gelatin and placed between two other biocompatible scaffolds such as collagen sponges soaked with a collagenic amount of a member of the TGF-β family of proteins. This composition is then implanted in a host to produce cranial sutures, periodontal ligament or other fibrous tissue structures in vivo.