EVALUATION OF DMSO TRANSPORT IN HUMAN ARTICULAR CARTILAGE: VEHICLE SOLUTIONS AND EFFECTS ON CELL FUNCTION

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Cryobiology

Background:

• Osteochondral allografting is limited by donor tissue availability.
• Effective cryopreservation methods are crucial for expanding allograft use.
• Optimizing cryoprotectant delivery into chondrocytes is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate chondrocyte tolerance and cryoprotective agent (CPA) uptake using different vehicle solutions for dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
• To establish optimal initial conditions for DMSO exposure in osteochondral tissue.
• To assess the impact of vehicle solutions on chondrocyte function and tissue CPA concentration.

Main Methods:

• Knee joints from deceased donors were used.
• Whole condyles were treated with 20% DMSO in three different vehicle solutions at 0°C.
• Chondrocyte function (GAG synthetic activity) and tissue CPA content were measured.

Main Results:

• Exposure to 20% DMSO in all tested vehicle solutions for 2 hours at 0°C was tolerated by chondrocytes, with no loss of GAG synthetic activity.
• DMSO penetration into the tissue showed minimal increase after 1 hour of exposure.
• The final tissue CPA concentration was significantly lower than the concentration in the external medium.

Conclusions:

• Chondrocytes tolerate 20% DMSO exposure at 0°C for 2 hours, indicating a safe window for cryoprotection.
• Vehicle solutions influence CPA uptake, but achieving high tissue CPA concentrations remains a challenge.
• Further research is needed to enhance CPA penetration and concentration in osteochondral tissues for improved cryopreservation outcomes.