Recent Patents on Regenerative Medicine - Volume 4, Issue 1, 2014

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects cartilage, subchondral bone, the synovium and synovial fluid and has limited treatment options. With an ageing population and growing health economic costs, novel treatment options for OA are urgently needed. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with their demonstrated abilities to modulate pain and inflammation, and with their ability to contribu Read More

This review discusses the present field of neurogenesis using adult stem cells. The authors highlight different methods of differentiating adult stem cells into neural cells: Growth factor and chemical induction, transfection, scaffold and/or 3D culture, and bioreactor and external stimuli. These different methods will be discussed using relevant patents and recent (< 5 year) scientific literature. Additionally, the authors present wh Read More

US patents relating to compositions containing extracellular matrix material and methods of using extracellular material in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are being granted at rapid pace. This article briefly describes some of these US patents and their claims. The large number of patents being issued on extracellular material and its uses indicates that there remains strong commercial interest and innovation in t Read More

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic and eco-friendly polymer. PLA and its composites are currently used in medical implants, tissue engineering, orthopedic devices, drug delivery systems, etc. The present review highlights recent research and patents for the utility of PLA based polymers and their blends in biomedical applications.

The limited capability of articular cartilage to heal after injury and the worldwide increase in the burden of diseases related to osteoarthritis, are prompting numerous efforts in developing novel treatments. Methods of grafting, promoting tissue repair or regenerative medicine strategies are in different stages of investigation. However, in the last decades, inadequate few novel therapies have made their way to the clinic gaini Read More

Human neural stem cells (hNSCs) have shown potential in treating a variety of neurological diseases. However, they are impractical to isolate and use for an autologous transplant, generating demand for an alternative source of neural phenotypes. Utilizing our patented technology, adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) may be a potential alternative source, as they are easily isolated and may have the potential to efficiently dif Read More