title: Production of three-dimensional tissue-engineered cartilage through mutual fusion of chondrocyte pellets.
abstract: In this study, the mutual fusion of chondrocyte pellets was promoted in order to produce large-sized tissue-engineered cartilage with a three-dimensional (3D) shape. Five pellets of human auricular chondrocytes were first prepared, which were then incubated in an agarose mold. After 3 weeks of culture in matrix production-promoting medium under 5.78g/cm(2) compression, the tissue-engineered cartilage showed a sufficient mechanical strength. To confirm the usefulness of these methods, a transplantation experiment was performed using beagles. Tissue-engineered cartilage prepared with 50 pellets of beagle chondrocytes was transplanted subcutaneously into the cell-donor dog for 2 months. The tissue-engineered cartilage of the beagles maintained a rod-like shape, even after harvest. Histology showed fair cartilage regeneration. Furthermore, 20 pellets were made and placed on a beta-tricalcium phosphate prism, and this was then incubated within the agarose mold for 3 weeks. The construct was transplanted into a bone/cartilage defect in the cell-donor beagle. After 2 months, bone and cartilage regeneration was identified on micro-computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. This approach involving the fusion of small pellets into a large structure enabled the production of 3D tissue-engineered cartilage that was close to physiological cartilage tissue in property, without conventional polyper scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Tissue Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: pochi-tky@umin.net.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Division of Tissue Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Tissue Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Tissue Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.affiliation: Human Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Misawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Numano
authors.affiliation: R&D Division, Olympus Corporation, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Division of Tissue Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Division of Tissue Engineering, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Iruma-gun, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komura
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D002459:Cell Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D012038:Regeneration; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
keywords: cartilage; chondrocyte; culture; pellet; tissue engineering