McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory > Soslowsky Lab > Scarless Regenerative Tendon Healing > Aim 2

Scarless Regenerative Tendon Healing

Aim 2 (completed): Tendons were harvested from 5 ewes and their fetuses and transplanted subcutaneously into adult SCID mice. After 1 week, all transplants were exposed and a wound was created in the injury groups. We hypothesized that fetal tendon transplanted into an adult environment would respond to injury in a manner intrinsic to fetal tissue, with rapid recovery of normal mechanical properties and tissue architecture, minimal inflammation, and no scar. Our results supported these hypotheses and suggested that the cells and ECM comprising this tissue, rather than the environment in which they reside, would be a promising subject for further study.