RCCC Limb Salvage and Regeneration Soft Tissue Projects
| Clinical Challenges |
Project |
Proposed Therapies |
| Injury to blood vessels |
Tissue lined biodegradable stent graft for arterial injuries |
Tissue-lined bioabsorbable polymeric stent graft
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| Large tendon and muscle defects; significant meniscal deficiency |
Functional scaffolds for soft tissue repair |
Fascia lata reinforced with biodegradable polymers; collagen scaffold reinforced with biodegradable polymers
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Tissue Lined Biodegradable Stent Graft for Arterial Injuries
When arteries and veins undergo trauma, stent grafts can help in the short term to bridge the injury and prevent excess bleeding. RCCC researchers are working to develop a bioabsorbable tissue lined stent graft for minimally invasive treatment of severe blood vessel injuries. The stent graft spans the injury and degrades over time as the injury heals. This hybrid technology of tissue and stent is designed to support the vessels for 3-6 months while cells repopulate to create regenerated healthy arterial tissues. The healed arteries re-establish necessary blood flow to other tissues and organs without the need for a permanent fixture in the blood vessels.
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Stent graft prototype
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Cleveland Clinic, Department of Vascular Surgery, Timur Sarac, MD
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Functional Scaffolds for Soft Tissue Repair
The goal of this project is to develop connective tissue scaffolds for repair of injured soft tissue such as in extremity wounds where there is a need to bridge massive tendon and muscle defects.
RCCC researchers are investigating natural extracellular matrix (ECM) as a scaffold for this purpose. They are using human connective tissue called fascia lata ECM because it has the ability to withstand the high functional demands of the tendon and muscle. They are developing a novel technique to reinforce the ability of the fascia to retain sutures. Next, they impregnate the scaffolds with biological molecules to boost healing and reduce inflammation.
Another RCCC team is creating a substitute for the meniscus, a pad of cartilage-type tissue that forms a cushion within the knee joint. They are testing a novel construction made of synthetic biomaterial fibers in a preclinical model.
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Photograph of hybrid collagen and tyrosine-based poly(DTDDD) fiber scaffold used for meniscus replacement in a sheep model
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Cleveland Clinic, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopaedic Research Center, Kathleen Derwin, PhD
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Charles Gatt, MD and Michael Dunn, PhD
Muscoloskeletal Transplant Foundation
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