Affiliations: Departments of Surgery and of Research, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland | Cartilage Biomechanics Group, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland | University of Bristol, Academic Rheumatology, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Ivan Martin, Institute for Surgical Research and Hospital Management, University Hospital Basel, Hebelstrasse 20, 4031 Basel, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 61 265 2384; Fax: +41 61 265 3990; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: In this study, we aimed at validating a rotary cell culture system (RCCS) bioreactor with medium recirculation and external oxygenation, for cartilage tissue engineering. Primary bovine and human culture-expanded chondrocytes were seeded into non-woven meshes of esterified hyaluronan (HYAFF®-11), and the resulting constructs were cultured statically or in the RCCS, in the presence of insulin and TGFβ3, for up to 4 weeks. Culture in the RCCS did not induce significant differences in the contents of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and collagen deposited, but markedly affected their distribution. In contrast to statically grown tissues, engineered cartilage cultured in the RCCS had a bi-zonal structure, consisting of an outgrowing fibrous capsule deficient in GAG and rich in collagen, and an inner region more positively stained for GAG. Structurally, trends were similar using primary bovine or expanded human chondrocytes, although the human cells deposited inferior amounts of matrix. The use of the presented RCCS, in conjunction with the described medium composition, has the potential to generate bi-zonal tissues with features qualitatively resembling the native meniscus.
