title: Reconstruction of human elastic cartilage by a CD44+ CD90+ stem cell in the ear perichondrium.
abstract: Despite the great demands for treating craniofacial injuries or abnormalities, effective treatments are currently lacking. One promising approach involves human elastic cartilage reconstruction using autologous stem/progenitor populations. Nevertheless, definitive evidence of the presence of stem cells in human auricular cartilage remains to be established. Here, we demonstrate that human auricular perichondrium, which can be obtained via a minimally invasive approach, harbors a unique cell population, termed as cartilage stem/progenitor cells (CSPCs). The clonogenic progeny of a single CD44(+) CD90(+) CSPC displays a number of features characteristic of stem cells. Highly chondrogenic CSPCs were shown to reconstruct large (>2 cm) elastic cartilage after extended expansion and differentiation. CSPC-derived cartilage was encapsulated by a perichondrium layer, which contains a CD44(+) CD90(+) self-renewing stem/progenitor population and was maintained without calcification or tumor formation even after 10 mo. This is a unique report demonstrating the presence of stem cells in auricular cartilage. Utilization of CSPCs will provide a promising reconstructive material for treating craniofacial defects with successful long-term tissue restoration.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Regenerative Medicine and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takebe
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inui
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.forename: Hiroomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Yun-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maegawa
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: C497483:CD44 protein, human; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens