SUPPORT FOR TISSUE REGENERATION AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

It is intended to provide a support on which cells can be uniformly distributed and stably held and fixed during culture and which ensures favorable proliferation and survival of the cells and, in the case of a cartilage, allows fixation procedures such as suture in the transplantation into an affected part after the completion of the culture, and has such a mechanical strength as withstanding (weight-loaded) compression at the early stage of the transplantation. A three-dimensional porous support for tissue regeneration having a structure wherein vertically long pores having a pore diameter of from 10 .mu.m to 500 .mu.m and a pore length of from 20 .mu.m to 1 cm are arranged in parallel by a construction technique mainly based on quic k freeze-drying. The above-described three-dimensional porous support wherein the cell-sowing properties are improved by enlarging the pores in one face b y peeling, surface salt-elution or a combination of these procedures. By sowin g tissue-origin cells or precursor cells on this support and culturing them in artificial environment and/or in vivo, a three-dimensionally bonded cell mas s showing an excellent ability to form a tissue and a favorable therapeutic effect can be obtained.