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Effect of in vitro culture on a chondrocyte-fibrin glue hydrogel for cartilage repair

  • Experimental Study
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Research in tissue engineering has been focused on articular cartilage repair for more than a decade. Some pioneristic studies involved the use of hydrogels such as alginate and fibrin glue which still possess valuable potential for cartilage regeneration. One of the main issues in cartilage tissue engineering is represented by the ideal maturation of the construct, before in vivo implantation, in order to optimize matrix quality and integration. The present study was focused on the effect of in vitro culture on a fibrin glue hydrogel embedding swine chondrocytes. We performed an evaluation of the immunohistochemical and biochemical composition and of the biomechanical properties of the construct after 1 and 5 weeks of culture. We noticed that chondrocytes survived in the fibrin glue gel and enhanced their synthetic activity. In fact, DNA content remained stable, while all indices of cartilage matrix production increased (GAGs content, immunohistochemistry for collagen II and safranin-o staining). On the other hand, the biomechanical properties remained steady, indicating a gradual substitution of the hydrogel scaffold by cartilaginous matrix. This demonstrates that an optimal preculture could provide the surgeon with a better engineered cartilage for implantation. However, whether this more mature tissue will result in a more efficient regeneration of the articular surface still has to be evaluated in future investigations.

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Acknowledgments

This work was done at the Stem Cell Research Institute, directed by Professor Giulio Cossu. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Corrado Sosio, Dr. Alessandro Pozzi, Dr. Alessia Di Giancamillo and Dr. Daniela Deponti for their assistance in sample preparation and analysis. A special thanks is given to Mr. Paolo Stortini for his precious help in histological analysis and to the Spaccio Agricolo Agripig for their assistance in animal management. This work was funded by the Fondazione CARIPLO.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Residency Program in Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Gaetano Pini Orthopaedic Institute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Piazza A. Ferrari 1, 20122, Milan, Italy

    Celeste Scotti

  2. Residency Program in Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinics, Hospital San Gerardo, University of Milano Bicocca, Via Donizetti 106, 20052, Monza, Italy

    Laura Mangiavini

  3. Laboratory of Biological Structures Mechanics, Department of Structural Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Federica Boschetti

  4. Department of Veterinary Sciences and Technologies for Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Trentacoste 2, 20134, Milan, Italy

    Francesca Vitari & Cinzia Domeneghini

  5. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy

    Gianfranco Fraschini & Giuseppe M. Peretti

  6. Faculty of Exercise Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Kramer 4/A, 20129, Milan, Italy

    Giuseppe M. Peretti

  7. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Raffaele Hospital, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy

    Giuseppe M. Peretti

Authors
  1. Celeste Scotti
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  2. Laura Mangiavini
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  3. Federica Boschetti
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  4. Francesca Vitari
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  5. Cinzia Domeneghini
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  6. Gianfranco Fraschini
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  7. Giuseppe M. Peretti
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Correspondence to Giuseppe M. Peretti.

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Scotti, C., Mangiavini, L., Boschetti, F. et al. Effect of in vitro culture on a chondrocyte-fibrin glue hydrogel for cartilage repair. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 18, 1400–1406 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-009-1014-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-009-1014-7

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