Transplantation of Chondrocytes Utilizing a Polymer-Cell Construct to Produce Tissue-Engineered Cartilage in the Shape of a Human Ear

Abstract

This study evaluates the feasibility of growing tissue-engineered cartilage in the shape of a human ear using chondrocytes seeded onto a synthetic biodegradable polymer fashioned in the shape of a 3-year-old child's auricle. A polymer template was formed in the shape of a human auricle using a nonwoven mesh of polyglycolic acid molded after being immersed in a 1% solution of polylactic acid. Each polyglycolic acid-polylactic acid template was seeded with chondrocytes isolated from bovine articular cartilage and then implanted into subcutaneous pockets on the dorsa of 10 athymic mice. The three-dimensional structure was well maintained after removal of an external stent that had been applied for 4 weeks. Specimens harvested 12 weeks after implantation and subjected to gross morphologic and histologic analysis demonstrated new cartilage formation. The overall geometry of the experimental specimens closely resembled the complex structure of the child's auricle. These findings demonstrate that polyglycolic acid-polylactic acid constructs can be fabricated in a very intricate configuration and seeded with chondrocytes to generate new cartilage that would be useful in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Shaped, Stratified, Scaffold-free Grafts for Articular Cartilage Defects

“…In previous studies, the shape of constructs changed qualitatively from the initial scaffold or mold shape due to growth and/or remodeling of the scaffold during culture [7,22,35]. Additionally, many of the previous reports on shaped cartilaginous grafts did not quantify the construct shapes or contours.…”

“…These methods have been used for engineering of elastic and nonarticular cartilage such as auricle [7,21,41], nose [8,21], and tympanic membrane [17]. Several shaped osteochondral constructs containing articular cartilaginous sections, for phalanx [20,35] and mandibular condyle [1], for example, have been fabricated.…”

“…In the scaffold prefabrication approach, a scaffold is shaped into the desired geometry, subsequently seeded with cells (chondrocytes, stem cells, etc. ), and cultured ex vivo or subcutaneously [7,22]. This approach is commonly used for osteochondral grafts, where most of the scaffold is used for the bony substance [35].…”

Biomimicry, Biofabrication, and Biohybrid Systems: The Emergence and Evolution of Biological Design

“…Perhaps the most famous example is the "Vacanti mouse," a mouse with a human ear embedded in its back. [79] Vacanti and co-workers generated biodegradable polymer scaffolds in the shape of a human ear, seeded them with primary chondrocytes, and implanted them in immunodeficient mice. Following several weeks of implantation, the ears were harvested and shown to have retained their 3D form, and encouraged the growth of new cartilage tissue (Figure 6A).…”

“…Reproduced with permission. [79] Copyright 1997, LWW. B) A rat heart is perfused with a detergent to decellularize it while preserving the support structures surrounding the cells, providing a scaffold for tissue engineering a heart by re-cellularizing the scaffold.…”