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A Multimodal Approach to Quantify Chondrocyte Viability for Airway Tissue Engineering
Coreena Chan1, Lumei Liu2,3, Sayali Dharmadhikari2,3
1College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.
The Laryngoscope
|May 25, 2022
Summary
Biobanking preserves chondrocyte viability in partially decellularized tracheal scaffolds better than short-term storage. This method supports the development of regenerative airway tissue engineering solutions for tracheal defects.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Partially decellularized tracheal scaffolds offer a promising solution for long-segment tracheal defects.
- Preserving chondrocyte viability is crucial for the success of these regenerative grafts.
- Standard storage methods require evaluation for their impact on chondrocyte viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and validate a multimodal approach for quantifying chondrocyte viability in airway tissue engineering.
- To compare the effects of different storage conditions on chondrocyte viability in tracheal grafts.
Main Methods:
- Tracheal segments from C57BL/6 mice were stored in phosphate-buffered saline at -20°C (PBS-20) or biobanked via cryopreservation.
- Stored and fresh grafts were implanted as syngeneic tracheal grafts (STG) for 3 months.
- Chondrocyte viability was assessed using live/dead assay, TUNEL, von Kossa staining, and in vivo micro-computed tomography (μCT).
Main Results:
- Biobanking resulted in higher chondrocyte viability compared to PBS-20 storage.
- Storage conditions did not significantly affect the proportion of apoptotic cells (TUNEL assay).
- Biobanked grafts showed reduced calcification after 3 months compared to PBS-20, correlating with μCT findings.
Conclusions:
- A multimodal strategy integrating in vivo imaging and histology effectively assesses chondrocyte viability.
- Biobanking is a superior method for preserving chondrocyte viability in tracheal scaffolds compared to short-term PBS-20 storage.
- This approach aids in the rational design of partially decellularized tracheal scaffolds for regenerative medicine.
