title: Fibroblast growth factor 2 and transforming growth factor β1 induce precocious maturation of articular cartilage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have discovered that a combination of fibroblast growth factor 2 and transforming growth factor β1 induce profound morphologic changes in immature articular cartilage. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that these changes represent accelerated postnatal maturation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histochemical and biochemical assays were used to confirm the nature of the morphologic changes that accompany growth factor stimulation of immature bovine articular cartilage explants in serum-free culture medium. Growth factor-induced apoptosis, cellular proliferation, and changes in the collagen network were also quantitatively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth factor stimulation resulted in rapid resorption from the basal aspect of immature cartilage explants that was simultaneously opposed by cellular proliferation from the apical aspect driven from a pool of chondroprogenitor cells we have previously described. Maturation-dependent changes in tissue stiffness, collagen crosslinking, and collagen fibril architecture as well as differentiation of the extracellular matrix into distinct pericellular, territorial, and interterritorial domains were all present in growth factor-stimulated cartilage samples and absent in control samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrate that it is possible to significantly enhance the maturation of cartilage tissue using specific growth factor stimulation. This may have applications in transplantation therapy or in the treatment of diseased cartilage, through phenotype modulation of osteoarthritic chondrocytes in order to stimulate growth and maturation of cartilage repair tissue.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. smbimk@cardiff.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ilyas M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Sam L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Emma J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Blain
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Quantock
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Avery
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Archer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D003094:Collagen