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Should human chondrocytes fly? The impact of electromagnetic irradiation on chondrocyte viability and implications for their use in tissue engineering

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Abstract

A significant logistic factor as to the successful clinical application of the autologous tissue engineering concept is efficient transportation: the donor cells need to be delivered to tissue processing facilities which in most cases requires air transportation. This study was designed to evaluate how human chondrocytes react to X-ray exposure. Primary cell cultures were established, cultured, incubated and exposed to different doses and time periods of radiation. Subsequently, quantitative cell proliferation assays were done and qualitative evaluation of cellular protein production were performed. Our results show that after irradiation of chondrocytes with different doses, no significant differences in terms of cellular viability occurred compared with the control group. These results were obtained when chondrocytes were exposed to luggage transillumination doses as well as exposure to clinically used radiation doses. Any damage affecting cell growth or quality was not observed in our study. However, information about damage of cellular DNA remains incomplete.

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Abbreviations

DMEM:

Dulbecco’s modified essential medium

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

FCS:

Fetal calf serum

MTT:

3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H- tetrazolium bromide

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

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Acknowledgments

We owe special gratitude to the employees of the Police Department at Zurich International Airport, particularly to Mr. Wuest, who supported us very kindly both in the planning and the execution phase of our experiments. Likewise, we thank SwissLife for supporting our study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland

    C. Koehler, F. J. Jung & V. Wedler

  2. Department for Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland

    T. Scholz

  3. Institute of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland

    B. Bode

  4. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland

    J. Roos

  5. Department of Surgical Research, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland

    S. P. Hoerstrup

  6. Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Divison of cardiology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland

    J. P. Hellermann

  7. Department of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30623, Hannover, Germany

    A. D. Niederbichler

Authors
  1. C. Koehler
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  2. A. D. Niederbichler
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  3. T. Scholz
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  4. B. Bode
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  6. F. J. Jung
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  7. S. P. Hoerstrup
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  8. J. P. Hellermann
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  9. V. Wedler
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Correspondence to C. Koehler.

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Koehler, C., Niederbichler, A.D., Scholz, T. et al. Should human chondrocytes fly? The impact of electromagnetic irradiation on chondrocyte viability and implications for their use in tissue engineering. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 29, 415–420 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-006-0094-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-006-0094-8

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