Regenerative Therapy - Needs in Man and Animals

Development of cell based strategies in the management of orthopaedic conditions - needs in man and animals
The musculoskeletal system is susceptible to both high morbidity disease and degenerative conditions as a consequence of both injury and age and exercise-related factors. The component structures exhibit a wide range of regenerative capacity, from bone where damage is resolved without scarring to cartilage where repair let alone regeneration is difficult to achieve. The range of conditions is seen in both man and other animal species, thus both induced and natural models in animals can provide insights for the management of human disease.

Mammalian species show limited capacity for true regeneration; however, bone repair tissue has been shown to express genes only seen in bone formation in embryonic development, confirming that bone can recapitulate embryonic development, as is also the case in antler growth of deer. The tissue differentiation in the process of bone repair reflects the mechano-sensitivity of the developing tissues and thus provides exciting potential for in vivo tissue regeneration, utilising the endogenous sources of progenitor cells. Such strategies already show potential for the biological replacement of damaged and degenerate skeletal structures. [...]