New gel could lead to cartilage repair
A new scaffold material that contains cartilage cells and encourages their growth could help scientists create living tissue replacements suitable for treating osteoarthritis and sports injuries, a team of researchers says.
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The gel, after it’s been seeded with cells in the laboratory, could someday be inserted through a small incision to an area of cartilage damage. The tissue would continue to grow as the scaffold gel breaks down, says Alan Grodzinsky of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).