title: Isolation and cultivation of human articular chondrocytes.
abstract: Adult human articular chondrocytes were isolated from surgically excised articular cartilage from 15 patients suffering from trauma or disease of the knee. Cells were isolated with an enzymatic digestion method and cultured with F12 medium supplemented with serum. The effects of serum and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the growth of cultured chondrocytes were studied. Serum stimulated the growth of chondrocytes at concentrations from 1-30%. bFGF significantly stimulated the growth of chondrocytes in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations from 1-100 ng/ml. Chondrocytes grew well in F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). These cultured chondrocytes could be passaged for many generations and revealed an average of 2,702-fold increase of cell numbers during 2-6 months period (cumulative population doublings = 11 times). Cumulative population doublings increased to 24 times in cell cultured with medium supplemented with bFGF (10 ng/ml). Immunocytochemical study using anti-S-100 antibodies demonstrated that these cultures were pure cell cultures of chondrocytes. We have demonstrated that cell cultures of adult human articular chondrocytes can be established with these methods. Cultured chondrocytes provide an in vitro model system for studying the physiology and pathology of human articular chondrocytes and may be used for autologous transplantation of chondrocytes to treat articular cartilage defects.
authors.affiliation: Cell Culture Laboratory, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, 310 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA. dhu@nyee.edu
authors.forename: Dan-Ning
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Pey-Yuh
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-Chou
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Alexander Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Min-Huo
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2