Regenerative Tendon and Ligament Healing: Opportunities with Recombinant Human Platelet-Derived Growth Factor BB-homodimer (rhPDGF-BB).

Intrinsic tendon healing in response to injury is a reparative process which often results in formation of scar tissue with functional and mechanical properties inferior to those of the native tendon. Development of therapies which can promote regenerative, rather than reparative, healing hold the promise of improving patient recovery from tendon and ligament injuries by producing tissue that is morphologically and functionally equivalent to the native tissue. One therapeutic approach that has been a frequent topic of investigation in the preclinical literature is the use of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (rhPDGF-BB) to augment tendon and ligament repair. Hee CK, Dines JS, Solchaga LA, Shah V, Hollinger JO. Tissue Eng Part B Rev. 2011 Dec 6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22145770