title: Evaluation of three growth factors in combinations of two for temporomandibular joint disc tissue engineering.
abstract: Tissue engineering of the temporomandibular joint disc could be a great value in treatments that require discectomy. Potential benefit has been found in the use of three growth factors: insulin-like growth factor-I, basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta1 in maintaining disc-like tissue in culture. In the present study, these three growth factors were combined in pairs and tested at two different concentrations over a 6-week period. All combinations of the growth factors appear to be beneficial since only three-quarters of the control constructs (without growth factors) retained mechanical integrity, compared with the majority of constructs exposed to growth factors. Importantly, the concentrations of the presented growth factors had a significant impact on the cellularity of constructs at Week 6. When a high concentration of the two growth factors was used, at least twice as many cells remained in the constructs compared with controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering MS 142, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Almarza
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Athanasiou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013552:Swine; D019224:Temporomandibular Joint Disc / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D003094:Collagen