# Promoting Endogenous Cell Recruitment for Rotator Cuff Muscle Repair

> **NIH NIH R01** · GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2021 · $333,547

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Complete rotator cuff tears are a debilitating tendon injury that result in the atrophy and fatty
degeneration of the corresponding muscle. Clinical outcomes following treatment of rotator cuff injuries
are directly related to the quality of the rotator cuff muscle. Therefore, methods to reverse degenerative
changes in the muscle would greatly improve overall outcomes for patients with rotator cuff tears. Due
to the key relation between endogenous cell recruitment and tissue healing found in other types of muscle
injury, we believe that the co-delivery of both stromal derived factor 1α (SDF-1α) and tumor necrosis
factor-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) from glycosaminoglycan-based carriers tailored for each molecule will
create a microenvironment in the rotator cuff muscle that will encourage recruitment and engraftment
of anti-inflammatory macrophages and MSCs and therefore promote muscle regeneration after rotator
cuff tendon tears.
 The objective of this application is to determine the relationship between local engraftment of bone
marrow-derived cells and the level of regeneration of rotator cuff muscle after surgical repair of the torn
tendon. This objective will be approached through the following specific aims: 1) Evaluate the effects of
sustained release of SDF-1α on local cell recruitment and tissue regeneration in the rat supraspinatus
muscle after tendon reattachment and 2)Evaluate the effects of co-release of SDF-1α and TSG-6 on local
cell recruitment and tissue regeneration in the rat supraspinatus muscle after tendon reattachment.
 The proposed work is innovative because it employs a well-controlled, injectable carrier to achieve
sustained release as well as enhance the effects of protein therapeutics to recruit endogenous cells in
order to reverse muscle atrophy after rotator cuff tears. Results from these studies are expected to have
an important positive impact because they will lead to more efficacious regenerative medicine therapies
for rotator cuff tears, as well as provide greater mechanistic understanding of which cells participate in
healing of degenerate muscle.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10254285
- **Project number:** 5R01AR071026-05
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Johnna S Temenoff
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $333,547
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10254285

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10254285, Promoting Endogenous Cell Recruitment for Rotator Cuff Muscle Repair (5R01AR071026-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10254285. Licensed CC0.

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