Compositions and methods for augmentation or repair of intervertebral discs
First Claim
1. A composition for treating an intervertebral disc, comprising stem cell material and a collagen-based material.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of augmenting and/or repairing an intervertebral disc by administering stem cell material into the disc. The stem cells may be undifferentiated cells, or they may be cells that have differentiated and have subsequently been dedifferentiated. The stem cells may be induced to express at least one characteristic of human intervertebral disc cells, such as fibroblast cells, chondrocyte cells, or notochordal cells, by exposing them to agents and/or environments calculated to induce the desired differentiation. In some embodiments, the stem cell material may be provided in conjunction with a collagen-based material, which may be a collagen-rich lattice or particles of collagen material. The stem cell material may be provided as a stem cell isolate, which may be substantially free of non-stem cell material. Other therapeutic agents may be administered with the stem cell material.
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Citations
30 Claims
- 1. A composition for treating an intervertebral disc, comprising stem cell material and a collagen-based material.
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29. A method of treating an intervertebral disc, said method comprising surgically adding to an intervertebral disc a treating composition comprising stem cell material and a collagen-based material.
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30. An intervertebral disc that has been treated to repair damage done by degenerative disc disease, said disc comprising a disc annulus having contained therein a treating composition comprising stem cell material and a collagen-based material.
Specification