Cartilage engineering utilizing a porous bioceramic (beta-TCP)-cell complex / 中华整形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the feasibility of growing tissue-engineered cartilage using chondrocytes seeded onto a biodegradable porous bioceramic, the beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A porous bioceramic template of beta-TCP was created in the shape of a disc. Chondrocytes isolated from rabbit articular cartilage were seeded on the beta-TCP template and then kept in rotatory cell culture system (RCCS) for 1 week prior to subcutaneous transplantation into athymic mice. The three-dimensional structure was well-maintained 16 weeks after implantation. After 4, 8, 16 weeks, the specimens were harvested and examined macroscopically, histologically and immunohistochemically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Gross morphological and histological analysis of the specimens from the chondrocyte-beta-TCP complex demonstrated new cartilage construction. The overall configuration of the experimental specimens closely resembled the structure of beta-TCP template.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These findings suggest that porous bioceramic (beta-TCP) is a good "matrix" for chondrocyte, and can be used for cartilage engineering.</p>