title: Analysis of human auricular cartilage to guide tissue-engineered nanofiber-based chondrogenesis: implications for microtia reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nanofiber-supported, in vitro-generated cartilage may represent an optimal starting material for the development of a cartilage implant for use in microtia reconstruction. To do so, the authors aim to first characterize the molecular composition of endogenous auricular cartilage and determine if human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) can be differentiated into cartilage in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, controlled.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human ear cartilage from normal adults, pediatric patients with microtia, and pediatric patients with preauricular appendages (n = 2) was analyzed for collagens I, II, and X and elastin expression. In parallel, hUCMSCs were cultured on either polycaprolactone (PCL) or D, L-lactide-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanofiber scaffolds for 21 days under chondrogenic conditions. Cells were harvested for histologic, biochemical, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Control cells were grown under both chondrogenic and nonchondrogenic conditions in the absence of nanofiber scaffolds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histological analysis of human ear cartilage revealed similar levels and distribution of collagens I and X and elastin. Collagen II was not highly expressed in the microtia samples. hUCMSC cultures stained positively for glycosaminosglycans (GAG) and sulfated proteoglycans. Compared to control cells, hUCMSCs grown on PLGA nanofiber scaffolds had a higher differentiation index (P ≤ .012) and higher levels of collagen X mRNA expression (P ≤ .006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data provide information regarding the composition of endogenous ear cartilage and suggest that hUCMSCs grown on PLGA nanofiber scaffolds may represent an optimal starting material for the development of a cartilage implant for use in microtia reconstruction.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7195, USA.
authors: John P
authors: JP
authors: Dahl
authors: Montserrat
authors: M
authors: Caballero
authors: Andrew K
authors: AK
authors: Pappa
authors: Gitanjali
authors: G
authors: Madan
authors: William W
authors: WW
authors: Shockley
authors: John A
authors: JA
authors: van Aalst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D065817:Congenital Microtia; D004423:Ear / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D057139:Nanofibers; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans