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Tissue engineering of cartilage using poly-epsilon-caprolactone nanofiber scaffolds seeded in vivo with periosteal
M E Casper1, J S Fitzsimmons, J J Stone
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Objective:
To determine the potential of periosteal cells to infiltrate poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) nanofiber scaffolds in vivo and subsequently produce cartilage in vitro.
Design:
PCL nanofiber scaffolds, with or without chitosan-coating were implanted under periosteum in 6-month-old rabbits. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) or vehicle was injected into each implant site. After 1, 3, 5 or 7 days, scaffolds were removed, separated from the periosteum, and the scaffolds and periosteum were cultured separately for 6 weeks under chondrogenic conditions. Sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG), type II collagen, DNA content, cartilage yield, and calcium deposition were then analyzed.
Results:
Cell infiltration was observed in all scaffolds. Cartilage formation in the uncoated scaffolds increased with duration of implantation (maximum at 7 days). Cells in the uncoated scaffolds implanted for 7 days produced significantly higher levels of both GAG [560 (95% confidence interval (CI), 107-1013) vs 228 (95% CI, 177-278) microg GAG/microg DNA] and cartilage yield [9% (95% CI, 3-14%) vs 0.02% (95% CI, 0-0.22%)] compared to chitosan-coated scaffolds (P=0.006 or less). There was no significant difference in GAG content or cartilage yield between the TGF-beta1-injected and vehicle-injected scaffolds. However, significantly more mineral deposition was detected in TGF-beta1-injected scaffolds compared to vehicle-injected scaffolds (P<0.0001). Cartilage yield from the periosteum, moreover, was significantly increased by subperiosteal TGF-beta1 injections (P<0.001). However, this response was reduced when chitosan-coated scaffolds were implanted.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates that it is possible to seed PCL nanofiber scaffolds with periosteal cells in vivo and subsequently produce engineered cartilage in vitro.
