title: In vitro culture of chondrocytes in a novel thermoreversible gelation polymer scaffold containing growth factors.
abstract: In this study we examined the potential of a novel thermoreversible gelation polymer (TGP) to act as a 3-D hydrogel scaffold and deliver both chondrocytes and growth factors. Chondrocytes obtained from bovine articular cartilage were studied as a suspension in TGP chilled to 4 degrees C, in the presence or absence of the growth factors IGF-1 and/or TGF beta2. The cold cell/aqueous suspensions were injected into a cylindrical mold and cultured at 37 degrees C for up to 16 weeks. Specimens obtained at 12 and 16 weeks were semitranslucent and elastic. The matrices surrounding the chondrocytes were histologically positive to Safranin-O staining and type II collagen staining. The glycosaminoglycan and hydroxyproline contents in the specimens increased as a function of time and because of the presence of growth factors; those cultured with growth factors produced significantly more of these substances than those cultured without. We have concluded that TGP has potential as a scaffold material in the generation of tissue-engineered cartilage in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Ayuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Kevin W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tinsley
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Vacanti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I