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Tissue Engineering: Construction of a Multicellular 3D Scaffold for the Delivery of Layered Cell Sheets
Published on: October 3, 2014
In vitro construction of scaffold-free cylindrical cartilage using cell sheet-based tissue engineering
Gakuto Tani1, Noriaki Usui, Masafumi Kamiyama
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. tani@pedsurg.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Pediatric Surgery International
|November 28, 2009
Summary
This study created scaffold-free, engineered cartilage for airway disease treatment. Dynamic culture conditions resulted in a stable, functional cartilage construct with properties similar to native tracheal cartilage.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Serious airway diseases necessitate innovative treatment strategies.
- Tissue-engineered cartilage presents a promising solution for airway reconstruction.
- Scaffold-free techniques offer advantages in creating functional cartilage constructs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel procedure for fabricating scaffold-free cylindrical cartilage in vitro.
- To evaluate the impact of dynamic culture conditions on engineered cartilage.
- To assess the structural, histological, and mechanical properties of the engineered cartilage.
Main Methods:
- Harvesting auricular chondrocytes from New Zealand white rabbits.
- Cultivating chondrocytes into a sheet and forming a cylindrical construct around a silicon tube.
- Cultivating constructs under dynamic or static conditions for 6 weeks.
- Evaluating macroscopic, histological, collagen expression, glycosaminoglycan content, and mechanical properties.
Main Results:
- The engineered cartilage maintained structural integrity with sufficient elasticity and stiffness.
- Histological analysis revealed a cartilaginous matrix with type II collagen expression.
- Glycosaminoglycan content reached 72% of native tracheal cartilage after 6 weeks.
Conclusions:
- A novel sheet-based tissue engineering technique successfully fabricated stable, functional, scaffold-free cylindrical cartilage in vitro.
- The engineered cartilage exhibited appropriate rigidity and flexibility for potential tracheal applications.
- This method may enable the development of patient-specific autografts for functional tracheal reconstruction.
