title: Gelatin Scaffolds with Controlled Pore Structure and Mechanical Property for Cartilage Tissue Engineering.
abstract: Engineering of cartilage tissue in vitro using porous scaffolds and chondrocytes provides a promising approach for cartilage repair. However, nonuniform cell distribution and heterogeneous tissue formation together with weak mechanical property of in vitro engineered cartilage limit their clinical application. In this study, gelatin porous scaffolds with homogeneous and open pores were prepared using ice particulates and freeze-drying. The scaffolds were used to culture bovine articular chondrocytes to engineer cartilage tissue in vitro. The pore structure and mechanical property of gelatin scaffolds could be well controlled by using different ratios of ice particulates to gelatin solution and different concentrations of gelatin. Gelatin scaffolds prepared from ≥70% ice particulates enabled homogeneous seeding of bovine articular chondrocytes throughout the scaffolds and formation of homogeneous cartilage extracellular matrix. While soft scaffolds underwent cellular contraction, stiff scaffolds resisted cellular contraction and had significantly higher cell proliferation and synthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycan. Compared with the gelatin scaffolds prepared without ice particulates, the gelatin scaffolds prepared with ice particulates facilitated formation of homogeneous cartilage tissue with significantly higher compressive modulus. The gelatin scaffolds with highly open pore structure and good mechanical property can be used to improve in vitro tissue-engineered cartilage.
authors.affiliation: 1 Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science , Tsukuba, Japan .|2 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba, Japan .
authors.forename: Shangwu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1 Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science , Tsukuba, Japan .|2 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba, Japan .
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science , Tsukuba, Japan .
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamoto
authors.affiliation: 1 Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science , Tsukuba, Japan .
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawazoe
authors.affiliation: 1 Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit, International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science , Tsukuba, Japan .|2 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba, Japan .
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D019245:Compressive Strength / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005612:Freeze Drying; D005780:Gelatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D016062:Porosity; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D034421:Sus scrofa; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D005780:Gelatin; D004247:DNA