title: Directed cell growth in multi-zonal scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering.
abstract: Articular cartilage serves as a low-friction cushion in synovial joints and is vital for mammalian skeletal movements. Due to its avascular nature and the low cell density, the tissue has a limited ability to regenerate, and damage due to injury, wear and tear, or disease usually requires surgical intervention. While articular cartilage had been predicted to be one of the first tissues to be successfully engineered, it proved to be challenging to reproduce the complex architecture and biomechanical properties of the native tissue. Here we report the fabrication of multi-layer polymer nanocomposite scaffolds that mimic the structural design, chemical cues, and mechanical characteristics of mature articular cartilage. These scaffolds guide the morphology, orientation, and phenotypic state of cultured chondrocytes in a spatially controlled manner, support the growth of tissue with features that are reminiscent of the natural analogue, and promote localized hydroxyapatite formation to permit integration with the subchondral bone.
authors.affiliation: Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland. Electronic address: sandra.camareroespinosa@unifr.ch.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camarero-Espinosa
authors.affiliation: Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rothen-Rutishauser
authors.affiliation: Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weder
authors.affiliation: Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; Virginia Tech, Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Tech Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, 445 Old Turner Street, 213 Holden Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Electronic address: johanf@vt.edu.
authors.forename: E Johan
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017886:Durapatite; D006801:Humans; D053761:Nanocomposites; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D017886:Durapatite
keywords: Cartilage; Multi-layer; Nanocomposite; Scaffold; Tissue-engineering