Infusion system for creating micro-environments in a living body

Abstract

The invention provides implantable infusion systems, including apparatus and methods, for prolonged infusion of a carefully designed medicament composition to create and maintain a comprehensive microenvironment at a target area in a living body. The composition may include living cells to treat a particular disease and which deliver exogenous substances to maintain a microenvironment in the living body. The invention contemplates medicament compositions that include stem cells (neuro or otherwise), including homographs and allographs, adhesive peptides, substances which inhibit fiberblast growth, genetically modified cells which produce useful exogenous substances, nerve growth factor (NGF), previously harvested cells from a living body. In another aspect, the invention contemplates the replication of cells in a reservoir, for example, to keep cells alive in a dormant state until infusion.

1 . A method of rebuilding tissue of a patient, comprising: 
 providing a device, the device comprising a reservoir and a catheter;    harvesting cells from the patient;    placing at least a portion of the harvested cells in the reservoir;    placing a medicament composition in the reservoir, the medicament composition comprising an agent that fosters growth of living cells; and    delivering the cells and the medicament composition from the reservoir via the catheter to the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cells harvested from the patient are stem cells.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the medicament composition fosters stem cell growth into a particular desired mature cell type.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein one or more surfaces of the device is coated with materials that encourage cell preservation.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein one or more surfaces of the device is coated with materials that inhibit cell aggregation.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cells and the medicament composition are delivered via the device at a controlled rate.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the device comprises one or more pumps for delivering the cells and the medicament composition.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising implanting the device.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the medicament composition includes one or more agents selected from the group consisting of growth factor agents, fluid from embryonic tissue cells, genetically engineered agents, nerve growth factor, ciliary neuronotrophic factor, neuronotrophic factors, neurotrophic agents, neurite promoting factors, surface active agents, humoral agents, chemical agents causing or enhancing the regeneration process, collagen, laminin, fibronectin, living cells, Schwann cells, glial cells, dorsal root ganglia cells, neural crest cells, neural agents, supportive agents, motor nerve growth factor, adhesion molecules, neural cell adhesion molecules, N-Cadherin, fibrin, hormones, estrogen, testosterone, thyroid hormone, corticotropin, insulin, catalase, acidic fibroblast growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, forskolin, glia-derived protease inhibitor, ganglioside GM-1, insulin-like growth factor, isaxonine, leupeptin, muscle basal lamina pyronin, hyaluronic acid, neural progenitors, peptides, adhesive peptides, proteins, genetically modified cells, enzymes, co-factors, neurotransmitters, trophins, and previously harvested cells from a patient.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the medicament composition includes one or more agents that support living cells.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue is an area of trauma.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue is an organ.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue is bone.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue is cartilage.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue is a tendon.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue is nerve tissue.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue is brain tissue.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue is central nervous system tissue.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the delivery of the cells and the medicament composition promotes the regeneration of tissue structures.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the tissue structures are selected from the group consisting of nerves, bone, cartilage, tendons and organs.  
     
     
         21 . A method of creating a microenvironment to aid in the repair of damaged tissue in a patient, comprising: 
 providing a device, the device comprising a reservoir for containing a medicament composition and a catheter for delivering a medicament composition from the reservoir;    harvesting one or more agents from the patient;    placing a medicament composition into the reservoir of the device, the medicament composition comprising one or more of the harvested agents from the patient and one or more agents not harvested from the patient;    delivering the medicament composition from the reservoir via the catheter to a target area of the patient to create a microenvironment to aid in the repair of damaged tissue in the patient.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the medicament composition includes cells.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the cells are stem cells.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the cells are genetically modified cells.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the cells are Schwann cells.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the cells are glial cells.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the cells are dorsal root ganglia cells.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the cells are neural crest cells.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22  wherein one or more agents of the medicament composition foster stem cell growth into a particular desired mature cell type.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  wherein one or more surfaces of the device is coated with materials that encourage cell preservation.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21  wherein one or more surfaces of the device is coated with materials that inhibit cell aggregation.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the medicament composition is delivered via the device at a controlled rate.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the device comprises one or more pumps for delivering the medicament composition.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising implanting the device.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the medicament composition includes one or more agents selected from the group consisting of growth factor agents, fluid from embryonic tissue cells, genetically engineered agents, nerve growth factor, ciliary neuronotrophic factor, neuronotrophic factors, neurotrophic agents, neurite promoting factors, surface active agents, humoral agents, chemical agents causing or enhancing the regeneration process, collagen, laminin, fibronectin, living cells, Schwann cells, glial cells, dorsal root ganglia cells, neural crest cells, neural agents, supportive agents, motor nerve growth factor, adhesion molecules, neural cell adhesion molecules, N-Cadherin, fibrin, hormones, estrogen, testosterone, thyroid hormone, corticotropin, insulin, catalase, acidic fibroblast growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, forskolin, glia-derived protease inhibitor, ganglioside GM-1, insulin-like growth factor, isaxonine, leupeptin, muscle basal lamina pyronin, hyaluronic acid, neural progenitors, peptides, adhesive peptides, proteins, genetically modified cells, enzymes, co-factors, neurotransmitters, and trophins.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the medicament composition includes one or more agents that support living cells.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the target area of the patient is an area of trauma.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the target area of the patient is an organ.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the target area of the patient is bone.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the target area of the patient is cartilage.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the target area of the patient is a tendon.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the target area of the patient is nerve tissue.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the target area of the patient is brain tissue.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the target area of the patient is central nervous system tissue.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the delivery of the medicament composition promotes the regeneration of tissue structures.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45  wherein the tissue structures are selected from the group consisting of nerves, bone, cartilage, tendons and organs.  
     
     
         47 . A method for rebuilding tissue of a patient, comprising: 
 harvesting cells from the patient;    placing at least a portion of the harvested cells in a reservoir connected to a catheter;    placing in the reservoir a medicament composition comprising an agent that fosters growth of living cells; and    delivering the cells and the medicament composition from the reservoir via the catheter to the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue.    
     
     
         48 . A method for rebuilding tissue of a patient, comprising: 
 harvesting cells from the patient;    placing at least a portion of the harvested cells in a reservoir capable of being connected to a catheter;    placing in the reservoir a medicament composition comprising an agent that fosters growth of living cells; and    delivering the cells and the medicament composition from the reservoir via the catheter to the target area of the patient for rebuilding tissue.    
     
     
         49 . A method of creating a microenvironment to aid in the repair of damaged tissue in a patient, comprising: 
 harvesting one or more agents from the patient;    placing a medicament composition into a reservoir of a device comprising the reservoir and a catheter coupled to the reservoir, the medicament composition comprising one or more of the harvested agents from the patient and one or more agents not harvested from the patient; and    delivering the medicament composition from the reservoir via the catheter to a target area of the patient to create a microenvironment to aid in the repair of damaged tissue in the patient.