title: Evaluation of Cartilage Repair by Mesenchymal Stem Cells Seeded on a PEOT/PBT Scaffold in an Osteochondral Defect.
abstract: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-seeded polyethylene-oxide-terephthalate/polybutylene-terephthalate (PEOT/PBT) scaffold for cartilage tissue repair in an osteochondral defect using a rabbit model. Material characterisation using scanning electron microscopy indicated that the scaffold had a 3D architecture characteristic of the additive manufacturing fabrication method, with a strut diameter of 296 ± 52 μm and a pore size of 512 ± 22 μm × 476 ± 25 μm × 180 ± 30 μm. In vitro optimisation revealed that the scaffold did not generate an adverse cell response, optimal cell loading conditions were achieved using 50 μg/ml fibronectin and a cell seeding density of 25 × 10(6) cells/ml and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) accumulation after 28 days culture in the presence of TGFβ3 indicated positive chondrogenesis. Cell-seeded scaffolds were implanted in osteochondral defects for 12 weeks, with cell-free scaffolds and empty defects employed as controls. On examination of toluidine blue staining for chondrogenesis and GAG accumulation, both the empty defect and the cell-seeded scaffold appeared to promote repair. However, the empty defect and the cell-free scaffold stained positive for collagen type I or fibrocartilage, while the cell-seeded scaffold stained positive for collagen type II indicative of hyaline cartilage and was statistically better than the cell-free scaffold in the blinded histological evaluation. In summary, MSCs in combination with a 3D PEOT/PBT scaffold created a reparative environment for cartilage repair.
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Merghani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ansboro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manian
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: O'Malley
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nandakumar
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: van Blitterswijk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Habibovic
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moroni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000293:injuries* / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D020219:Chondrogenesis; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011091:Polyesters; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011817:Rabbits; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; C072932:polyethylene oxide-polybutylene terephthalate copolymer; C041733:poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate); D011092:Polyethylene Glycols