Use of eicosanoids for tissue engineering

Tissue engineering is the development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain, or improve tissue function. One strategy that has been created to regenerate new tissue comprising the steps of providing cells, expanding the isolated cells in a first culture medium in which the cells lack differentiated functions and redifferentiating the expanded cells in a second cell culture medium. The present invention provides an improved method for tissue engineering. In particular the method provides specific biochemical factors to supplement cell culture medium during the redifferentiation process with the goal of regenerating tissue equivalents that resemble natural tissues both structurally and functionally. These specific chemical factors induce and/or accelerate and/or promote the redifferentiation of the previously expanded cells. Specifically, the invention provides a method for redifferentiation of mammalian or human chondrocytes in the presence of prostaglandin E2.