title: System-engineered cartilage using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-grafted gelatin as in situ-formable scaffold: in vivo performance.
abstract: Our previous study showed that cartilaginous tissue can be engineered in vitro with articular chondrocytes and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-grafted gelatin. This short-term in vivo study for cartilage repair was performed to screen a candidate method for a long-term study. In our previous in vitro study, however, two potential problems with the tissue-engineered cartilage were identified: (1). leakage of the transplant due to temperature decline and (2). concave deformation of transplant due to compressive loading. To solve these problems, we investigated in this study the usefulness of suturing with two different covering materials (periosteum or collagen film) and preculturing an engineered tissue for 2 weeks. PNIPAAm-gelatin-based engineered cartilage samples were evaluated at 5 weeks after operation by gross and microscopic examination. Leakage occurred only in specimens without precultured tissue and with a collagen film. Minimal surface deformation occurred in all specimens with precultured tissue. The score on gross examination showed that transplants with precultured tissue acquired a higher score than did the others. Histological evaluation showed a minimal foreign-body response of PNIPAAm-gelatin in all specimens and higher maturity as a cartilaginous tissue in specimens with precultured tissue. These results indicate that transplantation with precultured tissue may be a suitable method for a long-term in vivo study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ibusuki
authors.forename: Yukihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008422:Materials Testing; D011786:Quality Control; D011817:Rabbits; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D019737:Transplants
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; C052970:poly-N-isopropylacrylamide