The General Hospital Corporation

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Mark Randolph

Joseph P Vacanti

Irene Emily Kochevar

Robert W Redmond

Cathryn Sundback

Erik Bassett

Theresa A Hadlock

Jonathan M Winograd

Giuseppe Peretti

Irina Pomerantseva

Barbara Chan

Timothy Shane Johnson

Mack Cheney

Francesco Rossetti

Enzo Caruso

David J Zaleske

The present invention provides for compositions and constructs for craniofacial reconstruction implants, and methods for making and using same. Specific embodiments provide for a biocompatible scaffold having an auricular shape and a permanent bendable framework within the scaffold, wherein the permanent bendable framework allows deformation and return to pre-deformation shape, and thus maintains the auricular shape of the scaffold.

Engineered craniofacial constructs with composite scaffold

Photochemical tissue boding methods for bonding neural tissues include the application of a photosensitizer to a tissue and/or tissue graft, followed by irradiation with electromagnetic energy to produce a tissue seal. The methods are useful for tissue adhesion, such as in wound closure, tissue grafting, skin grafting, musculoskeletal tissue repair, ligament or tendon repair, neural repair, blood vessel repair and corneal repair.

Photochemical tissue bonding

Isolated chondrocytes are propagated in the presence of a biological gel such as a fibrin gel to generate a cartilage matrix that firmly bonds together two adjacent cartilage pieces. A bonding composition containing the isolated chondrocytes mixed with the biological gel is applied to a surface of one (or both) of the cartilage pieces, and the surface is contacted with the other cartilage piece. In a different order of steps, the two cartilage pieces are held in apposition, and gaps at the interface are filled with the bonding composition. In another method, either or both of the cartilage pieces are first incubated with the isolated chondrocytes, the biological gel is then applied, and the cartilage pieces are held together. Alternatively, after incubating with isolated chondrocytes, the biological gel can be applied to fill gaps at the interface between cartilage pieces held in apposition. One or both of the cartilage pieces can be depleted of endogenous chondrocytes before bonding, and the cartilage pieces can be articular cartilage, fibrocartilage or growth cartilage. A cartilage implant is formed by incubating isolated chondrocytes with a cartilage piece and applying the biological gel to the incubated cartilage piece. In repairing defective articular cartilage in a mammal, one of the pieces to be bonded is the defective cartilage and the other piece is the cartilage implant. A meniscal tear in fibrocartilage is another cartilage defect that can be repaired.

Bonding of cartilage pieces using isolated chondrocytes and a biological gel

Growing community of inventors

Chelmsford, MA, United States of America

Mark Randolph