title: Chitosan-alginate as scaffolding material for cartilage tissue engineering.
abstract: Tissue compatibility of chitosan-alginate scaffolds was studied in vitro in terms of cell morphology, proliferation, and functionality using HTB-94 cells. The scaffold has an interconnected 3D porous structure, and was fabricated by thermally induced phase separation followed by freeze drying. Cell proliferation on the chitosan-alginate scaffold was found to be faster than on a pure chitosan scaffold. After cell culture for 2 weeks in vitro, the cells on the chitosan scaffold gradually assumed a fibroblast-like morphology while the cells on the chitosan-alginate scaffold retained their spherical morphology throughout the period of study. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and Western blot assays for proteins extracted from cells grown on scaffolds indicated that production of cartilage-specific collagen type II, a marker for chondrocytic phenotype, increased from week 2 to week 3 on the chitosan-alginate scaffold but decreased on the chitosan scaffold. This study suggested that chitosan-alginate scaffolds promote cell proliferation, enhance phenotype expression of HTB-94 chondrocytes, and may potentially serve as an improved alternative to chitosan scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, 302L Roberts Hall, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Zhensheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Miqin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002470:Cell Survival; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D016062:Porosity; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D048271:Chitosan