Experimental Study on Cell-free Approach for Articular Cartilage Treatment

Abstract

Cell-free based approaches are introduced as a promising treatment method for articular cartilage. The success of this method requires cell colonisation from resident tissue into cell-free implants. The objective of our study is to promote the cell colonisation into cell-free collagen I based implants by mechanical stimulation. Therefore, a new in vitro cellular model consisting chondrocyte-seeded matrix and cell-free implants was developed in a polydimethylsiloxan (PDMS) mold. These constructs were cultured under dynamic and static culture conditions. For the dynamic culture, we have developed an in-house bioreactor system where both the load and the deformation applied to the specimen are recorded. Cyclic compression, with a strain of 5% and frequency of 0.1 Hz, was applied to constructs without any break. At the end of three days of dynamic and static cultivation, the cell-free implants were seperated from cell-seeded matrix and cultured in a petri dish three days long. Afterwards, they were analysed using fluoresence dyes. The microscopic assessment indicated that there was a cell migration into the cell-free implants which were cultured dynamically.

Designing of an Advanced Compression Bioreactor with an Implementation of a Low-Cost Controlling System Connected to a Mobile Application

“…Stoffel et al [18] have introduced four types of bioreactors that perform physiologically realistic motions to determine the material properties of distinct replacement materials and natural tissues. Further, the tissue compression bioreactor has been used to understand the migration behaviours of chondrocytes [19,20]. This study shows the further development of compression bioreactor in a large volume which provides homogeneous uniaxial compression on the multiple in vitro models at the same time and thereby prevents operator and system dependent variability.…”

Bioreactor for mobilization of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells into scaffolds under mechanical stimulation: Preliminary results

“…To our knowledge, this is the first study suggesting mobilization of MSCs from a low compartment to another at the top against gravity, induced by biomechanical stimulation in vitro. Migration of chondrocytes under mechanical stimulation has been previously stated [40][41][42], and migration of MSCs under mechanical stimulation was addressed in the past by Ode and collaborators, demonstrating that loading hampered the mobilization of MSCs in bone healing context [43] using a bioreactor system previously described [44]. Both bioreactors were able to apply load on a scaffold.…”