title: Homing in on a biological joint replacement.
abstract: The use of tissue engineering therapies for treating damaged articular cartilage has traditionally focused on cell-based therapies for the repair of focal chondral or osteochondral defects. A recent study by Lee and colleagues in the Lancet shows exciting proof-of-concept that an acellular scaffold containing transforming growth factor beta 3 can induce homing of cells that regenerate a hyaline-like cartilage surface. These findings provide a glimpse into the possibility that tissue engineering may in fact provide the means for regeneration of an entire joint surface, beyond a simple focal defect in the articular cartilage.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Duke, University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. guilak@duke.edu
authors.forename: Farshid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guilak
mesh_terms: D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002465:Cell Movement; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D012038:Regeneration; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D053782:Transforming Growth Factor beta3 / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D053782:Transforming Growth Factor beta3