USE OF GROWTH FACTORS AND HORMONES FOR EXPANSION OF MAMMALIAN CELLS AND TISSUE ENGINEERING

摘要

The present invention provides an improved method for expanding cells for us e in tissue engineering. In particular the method provides specific biochemica l factors to supplement cell culture medium during the expansion process in order to reproduce events occurring during embryonic development with the go al of regenerating tissue equivalents that resemble natural tissues both structurally and functionally. These specific biochemical factors improve proliferation of the cells and are capable of de-differentiation mature cell s isolated from tissue so that the differentiation potential of the cells is preserved. The bioactive molecules also maintain the responsiveness of the cells to other bioactive molecules. Specifically, the invention provides methods for expanding chondrocytes in the presence of fibroblast growth fact or 2 for use in regeneration of cartilage tissue.