Objective To review the current development in meniscus tissue engineering. Methods Recent literature concerning the development of the meniscus tissue engineering was extensively reviewed and summarized. Results Recent researches mainly focus on: selection of seed cells and research of their potential of differentiation into chondrocytes; selection of scaffold materials and research of their mechanical properties; cytokines and their mechanisms of action. Conclusion Many achievements have been made in meniscus tissue engineering. Most important topics in future research include: finding seed cells that are adapted to physiological process, are easy to culture, and have higher chondrogenic differentiation ability; looking for necessary cytokines and their mechanisms of action; finding scaffold meterials with b morphological plasticity, no antigenicity, good degradability, and mechanical property close to normal meniscus.
Objective To review the latest progress of seeding cells for articular cartilage tissue engineering. Methods The recent original l iteratures on seeding cells for articular cartilage tissue engineering were extensively reviewed. Results The chondrocytes derived from BMSCs’ differentiation would be a main source of seeding cells articular cartilage for tissue engineering. Three-dimensional scaffolds and cultivation surroundings played important roles in the field of articular cartilage tissue engineering. Conclusion The util ization of cytokine and transgenic technology as well as improvements of three-dimensional scaffolds and cultivation surroundings will promote the development of articular cartilage tissue engineering.
Objective To establ ish an efficient and stable culture method of human umbil ical vein endothel ial cells (HUVECs) in vitro so as to provide good source of seed cells for tissue engineered vascular grafts and for precl inical research. Methods The umbil ical cords were harvested from full-term normal delivered neonates, which were perfused with0.1% collagenase II by self-made needle and were digested at 37 and 5% CO2 humidified incubator. The HUVECs were cultured in endothel ial culture medium (ECM) containing 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% endothel ial cell growth factor (ECGS). HE staining of the umbil ical cords before and after digestion was used to observe the detachment of HUVECs, flow cytometry to detect the purity of primary HUVECs, and inverted phase contrast microscope to observe the morphology of the cultured HUVECs. The growth of the 3rd passage cells was measured by MTT assay; immunocytochemical technique and matrigelbased capillary-l ike tube formation assay were carried out to identify the function of HUVECs. Results After digestion of 0.1% collagenase II, marked HUVECs detachment was observed with complete digestion. The purity of the HUVECs was 99.56% by digestion of 0.1% collagenase II at 37 and 5% CO2 humidified incubator for 15 minutes. Primary HUVECs showed a cobblestone or pitching stone-l ike appearance in vitro, forming a confluent monolayer cells after 2-3 days of culture. MTT assay demonstrated that HUVECs showed the fastest growth speed at 3 to 4 days, and showed growth of cell fusion at about 5 days. Immunocytochemistry showed that HUVECs highly expressed endothel ial marker factor VIII. Matrigel based capillary-l ike tube formation assay showed that it could form endothel ial-l ike tube structures after 24 hours of culture. Conclusion Using improved method and ECM could obtain high quantity and high qual ity primary HUVECs, which might be a kind of promising seed cells for tissue engineering and precl inical research.
ObjectiveTo study the potential protective effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on chondrocytes injured by interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and the resistant capacity of chondrocytes when co-cultured indirectly with BMSCs against IL-1β. MethodsSix Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into experimental group (articular cartilage defects) and control group. The content and gene expression of IL-1β were detected at 6 hours after surgical intervention by quantitative real time RCR (qRT-PCR) and ELISA. BMSCs repairing function test: the 18-holes cultured chondrocytes were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=6): cells of blank group were not treated;cells of injured group and co-cultured group were intervened by IL-1β, and Transwell chamber was used to establish co-culture system of BMSCs with chondrocyte in co-cultured group. The mRNA relative expressions of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (Caspase 3), a disintegrin and metalloprotease with Thrombospondin motifs 4 (ADAMTS-4), and ADAMTS-5 were measured via qRT-PCR in chondrocytes, meanwhile Caspase-3 content was detected via ELISA, and the cell apoptosis rate was detected via flow cytometry. BMSCs protecting function test: the 12-holes cultured chondrocytes were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=6), Transwell chamber was used to establish co-culture system of BMSCs with chondrocyte in co-cultured group before the 2 groups were both intervened by IL-1β, then the same detected indexes were taken as the BMSCs repairing function test. ResultsAnimal in vivo studies showed that relative expression of IL-1β mRNA and IL-1β contents were significantly higher in experimental group than control group (P<0.05). BMSCs repair tests showed that mRNA relative expressions of Caspase-3, ADAMTS-4, and ADAMTS-5, Caspase-3 content, and cell apoptosis rate were significantly higher in injured group and co-cultured group than blank group, and in injured group than co-cultured group (P<0.05). BMSCs protect tests showed that mRNA relative expressions of Caspase-3, ADAMTS-4, and ADAMTS-5, Caspase-3 content, and cell apoptosis rate in co-cultured group were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.05). ConclusionBMSCs, as seed cells for tissue engineering, have potential for applications to anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis.
Objective To sum up the research advances of the seed cell and the culture system using in tissue engineering cartilage. Methods The recent original articles about the seed cell and the culture system in tissue engineering cartilage were extensively reviewed. Results At present, autologous or homologous cells is still major seed cell and the three dimensional culture system is also major system for tissue engineering cartilage. Conclusion The source of seed cell for tissue engineering cartilage. Conclusion The source of seed cell for tissue engineering cartilage should be further explored, and the culture system need to be improved and developed.
Objective To observe the biological characters of chondrocytes in articular loose body and to find out seeding cells for cartilage tissue engineering. Methods Samples from 5 loose body cartilages, 2 normal articular cartilages and 6 osteoarthritis articular cartilages were collected. Part of each sample’s cartilage was histologically studied to observe the chondrocytes distribution the morphologic changes by toluidine-blue staining, chondrocytes’ apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL). The rest of each cartilage was digested and isolated by 0.25% trypsin and 0.2% collagenase Ⅱ, and then were cultivated in 10%DMEM. Their morphologic changes were observed 24h later.Comparison was made btween three cartilages. Results Compared with normal cartilage and osteoarthritis articular cartilage, the cells density was higher, their lacunars were larger, cells distribution was irregular, and apoptosis was more apparent in loose body cartilage. Conclusion The characters of chondrocytes from loose body is more like fibroblasts so they can not serve as seeding cells directly for cartilage tissue engineering.
Osteochondral defects is a common clinical joint disease. The complexity of cartilage-bone interface and the poor self-repair capacity of cartilage are both reasons for current relatively limited clinical treatments. The introduction of tissue engineering provides a new treatment method for osteochondral repair. This paper reviews three main elements of cartilage-bone tissue engineering: seed cell source and culture method, cytokines regulation and synergistic effect, and scaffold components and type. We mainly focused on current status quo and future progress of cartilage-bone repair scaffolds. This paper provides some reference for the further development of osteochondral tissue engineering.
ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress of tissue engineered bile duct in recent years.MethodsThis paper summarized recently-published papers related to tissue-engineered bile duct on in vitro test platform, scaffold materials, acquisition methods of seed cells, and in vivo repair effectiveness after the fusion of seed cells and materials, in an attempt to review the basic and clinical application studies of tissue-engineered bile duct.ResultsTissue-engineered bile duct had been developing rapidly. At present, great progress had been made in the fields of in vitro test platform, scaffold materials, seed cells, and repair effectiveness in animal models. However, further study was still needed in terms of its clinical application. The external bile duct platform included 3D printing and biological simulation; in the aspect of scaffold material, apart from the progress of various artificial materials, acellular matrix was introduced; the selection of seed cells included the induction and differentiation of bile duct-derived stem cells, human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), hepatic oval cell (HOC), pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), and other stem cells; animal models of tissue-engineered bile ducts had also achieved good results in animals such as pigs and dogs.ConclusionThe development of tissue-engineered bile duct will promote the progress of fundamental in vitro studies on extrahepatic biliary tract diseases, thus introducing new options to the clinical treatment of extrahepatic biliary tract injuries.
Objective To review the research appl ication and advance of synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) in tissue engineering. Methods The recent related l iterature was reviewed, concerning isolation method, characteristics of SMSCs, and its appl ication in tissue engineering. Results SMSCs are multi potent cell population with characteristics of easy isolation and high prol iferation, which have been appl icated in the cartilage, tendon, l igament, and bone tissue engineering. Conclusion SMSCs is a new member of mesenchymal stem cells family. It appears to be promising seedcells for tissue engineering, but further research is needed.