Cartilage tissue engineering using electrospun PCL nanofiber meshes and MSCs
M L Alves da Silva1, A Martins, A R Costa-Pinto
13B’s Research Groups--Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquartersof the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, ZonaIndustrial da Gandra, S. Claudio do Barco, 4806-909 Caldas das Taipas, Guimarães, Portugal. msilva@dep.uminho.pt
Biomacromolecules
|November 26, 2010
Summary
Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) cultured in a flow perfusion bioreactor showed enhanced chondrogenic differentiation. This bioreactor system supports cartilage extracellular matrix production for potential therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells with therapeutic potential due to their differentiation capacity.
- Human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBM-MSCs) are of significant interest for tissue engineering, particularly for cartilage repair.
- Optimizing culture conditions is crucial for enhancing MSC differentiation and extracellular matrix (ECM) production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of a flow perfusion bioreactor in promoting chondrogenic differentiation of hBM-MSCs.
- To evaluate the production of cartilaginous ECM by hBM-MSCs cultured in the bioreactor system.
- To characterize the expression of key cartilage-related genes and ECM components.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and characterization of hBM-MSCs from human bone marrow aspirates using flow cytometry.
- Seeding of hBM-MSCs onto electrospun polycaprolactone nanofiber scaffolds.
- Culture of cells within a multichamber flow perfusion bioreactor.
- Assessment of chondrogenic differentiation via morphological analysis, RT-PCR for cartilage genes (e.g., aggrecan, collagen type II, Sox9), and histological examination of ECM deposition.
Main Results:
- Flow perfusion bioreactor culture significantly enhanced chondrogenic differentiation of hBM-MSCs.
- Morphological and histological analyses confirmed increased cartilaginous ECM deposition.
- Expression of cartilage-specific genes, including aggrecan, collagen type II, and Sox9, was detected.
- Both collagen type II and collagen type I were identified in the cultured samples.
Conclusions:
- The flow perfusion bioreactor is an effective system for promoting chondrogenic differentiation of hBM-MSCs.
- The bioreactor supports the production of cartilaginous ECM, indicating its potential for cartilage tissue engineering.
- While gene expression changes were not statistically significant, overall results support the use of this bioreactor for hBM-MSC chondrogenesis.
