Findings from an animal study published online in the journal PLOS ONE suggest that a combination of advanced scaffold material and adult stem cells may improve healing of rotator cuff tendon tears compared to surgery alone. 

The research team tested clinically two types of biodegradable poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds as transient carriers for genetically modified cells. They found that human fibroblasts adhered to both scaffolds, although proliferation and transgene expression capacity were higher on one type, possibly due to a different scaffold architecture. In addition, the research team notes that cultivation of the cells on the scaffolds did not alter their biomechanical properties. Learn more...