Abstract
Tissue engineering of articular cartilage is focused on generating the microenvironment, so as to restore its complex biomechanical and biochemical properties. We developed a novel Chitosan-Agarose (CHAG) scaffold resembling the properties of native cartilage extracellular matrix that aids in-vitro cartilage formation. Human Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HWJ-MSCs) were seeded on CHAG scaffolds, cultured in Chondrogenic medium with supplementation of growth factors (BMP-2, TGF-β3). Dynamic compression loading was applied to mimic the microenvironment of native cartilage. The HWJ-MSCs seeded CHAG scaffolds have good cell attachment, infiltration and chondrogenesis with neo extracellular matrix synthesis. CHAG scaffolds seeded with HWJ-MSCs cultured in Chondrogenic media supplemented with both BMP-2 and TGF-β3 and simultaneous dynamic compression loading produced 15.26±2.48 µg GAG/µg DNA. Our results highlighted the potential strategy of using the combination of dynamic compression loading and CHAG scaffold in creating a functional, tissue engineered construct for articular cartilage.
Citation
Merlin Rajesh Lal LP, Suraishkumar GK and Nair PD. Dynamic Compression Loading Aids in Chondrogenesis of Human Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells Seeded on Chitosan-Agarose. Stem Cell Res. 2017; 3(1): 1006.