Dynamic cell seeding of polymer scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Cell seeding is critical for engineered tissue development in bioreactors.
• Large scaffolds for clinical implants necessitate efficient cell seeding: high yield, fast kinetics, and uniform distribution.
• Anchorage-dependent and shear-sensitive cells require minimized suspension time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cell seeding kinetics and distribution in large polyglycolic acid scaffolds.
• To optimize cell seeding for cartilage tissue engineering using spinner flasks.
• To develop a mathematical model for predicting cell seeding efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Utilized highly porous, fibrous polyglycolic acid scaffolds (5-10 mm diameter, 2-5 mm thick).
• Employed bovine articular chondrocytes for cell seeding in well-mixed spinner flasks.
• Analyzed cell attachment kinetics and distribution throughout the scaffold volume.

Main Results:

• Achieved high cell attachment throughout the scaffold volume within 1 day.
• Mixing promoted the formation of 20-32 micron cell aggregates, enhancing attachment kinetics.
• Cell aggregate formation improved kinetics without compromising distribution uniformity.

Conclusions:

• Spinner flask mixing effectively seeds large scaffolds with chondrocytes.
• Cell aggregate formation is key to optimizing cell seeding for cartilage tissue engineering.
• A mathematical model can guide the optimization of cell seeding conditions.