Vascularization enhanced graft constructs
First Claim
1. A submucosa tissue graft construct, said tissue graft construct comprising vertebrate submucosa tissue, exogenously added endothelial cells, and at least one additional preselected, exogenous population of cells, wherein the tissue graft construct lacks vessels or vessel-like structures including the endothelial cells, and wherein the at least one additional preselected, exogenous population of cells is effective to enhance the initiation of formation of vessels or vessel-like structures including endothelial cells in said graft construct.
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Abstract
An intestinal submucosa tissue graft construct for use in repairing diseased or damaged tissues is provided. The graft construct comprises vertebrate intestinal submucosa tissue, added endothelial cells, and at least one additional preselected, exogenous population of cells which enhances initiation of the formation of vessel-like structures in the graft. The preselected population of cells can be a population of non-keratinized or keratinized epithelial cells or a population of mesodermally derived cells selected from the group consisting of fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, skeletal muscle cells, cardiac muscle cells, multi-potential progenitor cells, pericytes, osteogenic cells, and any other suitable cell type, preferably selected based on the tissue to be repaired. Methods for enhancing the vascularization in vivo of these intestinal submucosa tissue graft constructs and for preparing these graft constructs are also provided.
67 Citations
33 Claims
- 1. A submucosa tissue graft construct, said tissue graft construct comprising vertebrate submucosa tissue, exogenously added endothelial cells, and at least one additional preselected, exogenous population of cells, wherein the tissue graft construct lacks vessels or vessel-like structures including the endothelial cells, and wherein the at least one additional preselected, exogenous population of cells is effective to enhance the initiation of formation of vessels or vessel-like structures including endothelial cells in said graft construct.
- 16. A vascularized submucosa tissue graft construct for use in repairing diseased or damaged tissues, said tissue graft construct comprising vertebrate submucosa tissue, exogenously added endothelial cells, and at least one additional preselected, exogenous population of cells wherein said endothelial cells have been cultured on said submucosa tissue for a time sufficient to form vessels or vessel-like structures in vitro wherein the at least one additional preselected, exogenous population of cells enhances the initiation of formation of vessels or vessel-like structures in said graft construct that lacks vessels or vessel-like structures.
- 21. A submucosa tissue graft construct having vessel-like structures for use in repairing diseased or damaged tissues, said tissue graft construct comprising vertebrate submucosa tissue, exogenously added endothelial cells, and at least one additional preselected, exogenous population of cells, wherein said endothelial cells and said additional population of cells have been cultured together on the submucosa tissue from a time at which the graft construct lacked the vessel-like structures and wherein said additional population of cells has enhanced the initiation of formation of the vessel-like structures in said graft construct.
Specification