Influence of growth factors on tissue-engineered pediatric elastic cartilage.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of growth factors on tissue-engineered pediatric human elastic cartilage relative to potential clinical application.


METHODS
Controlled study.


METHODS
Eleven children ranging in age from 5 to 15 years provided auricular elastic cartilage specimens measuring approximately 1 x 1 x 0.2 cm and weighing approximately 100 mg.


METHODS
Three million chondrocytes were plated into 4 groups of Ham F-12 culture medium: group 1, Ham F-12 culture medium only; no growth factors (control group); group 2, Ham F-12 culture medium and basic fibroblast growth factor; group 3, Ham F-12 culture medium and transforming growth actor beta; and group 4, Ham F-12 culture medium and a combination of both growth factors. At 3 weeks, the cells were harvested and mixed with a copolymer gel of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene oxide (Pluronic F-127). The cell solution was injected subcutaneously into athymic mice. The constructs were harvested at up to 22 weeks of in vivo culture and histologically analyzed.


RESULTS
The average number of cells generated in vitro was as follows: group 1, 12 million; group 2, 40 million; group 3, 7 million; and group 4, 35 million. Group 2 in vivo gross specimens were the largest and heaviest. Histologically, the control group and the basic fibroblast growth factor group (groups 1 and 2) exhibited characteristics compatible with normal auricular cartilage; groups 3 and 4 demonstrated cellular disorganization and moderate to severe fibrous tissue infiltration.


CONCLUSIONS
Basic fibroblast growth factor demonstrates the greatest positive influence on the in vitro and in vivo growth of engineered pediatric human auricular cartilage. The results suggest that basic fibroblast growth factor has the potential for clinical application in which a goal will be to generate a large volume of tissue-engineered cartilage from a small donor specimen in a short period of time and of a quality similar to native human elastic cartilage.
Arévalo-Silva
C A
CA
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worchester, USA.
Cao
Y
Y
Vacanti
M
M
Weng
Y
Y
Vacanti
C A
CA
Eavey
R D
RD
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*
D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2