Open Competition 3 - Biotechnology

Engineered Rotator Cuff Tendon Tissue

Sponsor: Tissue Regeneration Inc.

• Project Performance Period: 5/1/2004 - 10/30/2006
• Total project (est.): $2,364,118.00
• Requested ATP funds: $1,966,296.00

Approximately 200,000 rotator cuff tendon reconstructions are performed in the United States each year. The rotator cuff is a network of tendons that attach four shoulder muscles to the upper arm bone and are responsible for lifting and arm rotation. In cases of chronic wear, surgical reconstruction fails to restore normal joint mechanics, causing permanent loss of function. Improved techniques that fully restore function would have significant economic and quality of life benefits. Tissue Regeneration plans a 2.5-year project to develop and test novel biomaterial and bioreactor technologies to enable the engineering of rotator cuff tendons using a patient's own (autologous) bone marrow cells. The new technologies would enable autologous tendon replacement for the first time, overcoming problems with the lack of integrity of such tendons and eliminating the need to use cells from external sources, which might be rejected by the body as well as pose significant risk. The company will use surface-modified silk to make a biocompatible tissue scaffold to support the attachment of cells needed for tendon repair. In addition, the scaffold design will incorporate a novel anchoring system for attachment of the device to muscle and bone. A bioreactor will be designed to provide conditions needed for cell attachment and orientation in the scaffold, and the differentiation of bone marrow cells into specific tendon cells. The engineered tissue will be tested using a goat model for chronic rotator cuff injury. Without ATP funding, the research program would not be undertaken due to the significant risk and challenges present in the development of a tissue replacement for rotator cuff tendon. If successful, the project could save an estimated $25,000 per rotator cuff tendon injury by eliminating the need for repeated surgeries, and reducing rehabilitation time. In addition, surgical repair would become an option for patients with worn-out tendons who currently have no recourse other than rehabilitation. The new technologies also would have other tissue engineering applications, such as repair of tendons and ligaments of the hand, wrist, elbow, and ankle.

For project information:

Sue Bohle, (310) 785-0515
sue@bohle.com

ATP Project Manager

Thomas Wiggins, (301) 975-5416
thomas.wiggins@nist.gov