Tissue engineering of autologous cartilage transplants for rhinology.
In reconstructive surgery there is increasing demand for cartilage transplants to fill defects, especially nose and/or outer ear defects. Tissue engineering is one of the most modern pathways to generate autologous cartilage transplants. Isolated chondrocytes obtained from a tiny patient's biopsy were seeded on bioresorbable preshaped cell carriers to provide a 3-dimensional cell arrangement as in vivo. The combined use of these cell carriers in form of a non-woven mesh and a constant medium perfusion was performed to generate a cartilage-like cell-polymer-construct, which was finally subcutanously implanted in nude mice for full maturation. After explantation of 6 months, expression of cartilage specific extracellular matrix molecules was obvious by using histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. These data show that tissue engineering with isolated multiplied human chondrocytes from a tiny biopsy seeded on bioresorbable polymer is a promising system to generate autologous cartilage transplants for replacements in reconstructive surgery.
Naumann
A
A
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Grosshadern, Munchen, Germany.
Rotter
N
N
Bujía
J
J
Aigner
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000637:transplantation*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000166:cytology; D009666:Nose / Q000601:surgery*; D010641:Phenotype