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Researchers find 3-D printed protein-infused scaffold could repair damaged meniscus

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Recent research showed a 3-D printed scaffold infused with human growth factors could provide the first effective and long-lasting repair of a damaged meniscus.

There is currently little that can be done to regenerate a torn knee meniscus, according to study author, Jeremy Mao, DDS, PhD.

“Some small tears can be sewn back in place, but larger tears have to be surgically removed,” Mao, the Edwin S. Robinson professor of dentistry in orthopedic surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, said in a press release. “While removal helps reduce pain and swelling, it leaves the knee without the natural shock absorber between the demur and tibia, which greatly increases the risk of arthritis.”

Performing a MRI scan of the intact meniscus in the undamaged knee, the scans are converted to a 3-D image, which is used to produce a scaffold made of polycaprolactone in the exact shape of the meniscus. By infusing the scaffold with connective growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta-3, existing stem cells in the body are attracted and induced to form meniscal tissue. The scaffold eventually dissolves and is eliminated from the body, according to the release.

To test the process, Mao and his colleagues randomly assigned 11 sheep to have their knee meniscus replaced with a protein-infused scaffold or a scaffold without protein. After 3 months, those treated with a protein-infused scaffold were walking normally. Researchers also found protein-infused scaffolds had structural and mechanical properties very similar to those of a natural meniscus.

“This is a departure from classic tissue engineering, in which stem cells are harvested from the body, manipulated in the laboratory, and then returned to the patient — an approach that has met with limited success,” Mao said in the press release. “In contrast, we’re jumpstarting the process within the body, using factors that promote endogenous stem cells for tissue regeneration.”

Reference: Lee CH. Sci Transl Med. 2014. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3009696.

Disclosures: Mao and Lee hold a patent on meniscus regeneration using biomaterial scaffolds or small-molecule cues.