A Dual Flow Bioreactor with Controlled Mechanical Stimulation for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

In cartilage, tissue engineering bioreactors can create a controlled environment to study chondrocyte behavior under mechanical stimulation or produce chondrogenic grafts of clinically relevant size. Here we present a novel bioreactor that combines mechanical stimulation with a two compartment syste...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tissue engineering. Part C, Methods Methods, 2013-10, Vol.19 (10), p.774-783
Main Authors: Spitters, Tim W.G.M., Leijten, Jeroen C.H., Deus, Filipe D., Costa, Ines B.F., van Apeldoorn, Aart A., van Blitterswijk, Clemens A., Karperien, Marcel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bioreactors
Cartilage
Cartilage, Articular - physiology
Cattle
Cell Survival
Compressive Strength
Extracellular Matrix - metabolism
Glucose - metabolism
Mechanical Phenomena
Mechanical properties
Models, Biological
Oxygen - metabolism
Reproducibility of Results
Rheology - instrumentation
Tissue engineering
Tissue Engineering - instrumentation
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Summary:In cartilage, tissue engineering bioreactors can create a controlled environment to study chondrocyte behavior under mechanical stimulation or produce chondrogenic grafts of clinically relevant size. Here we present a novel bioreactor that combines mechanical stimulation with a two compartment system through which nutrients can be supplied solely by diffusion from opposite sides of a tissue-engineered construct. This design is based on the hypothesis that creating gradients of nutrients, growth factors, and growth factor antagonists can aid in the generation of zonal tissue-engineered cartilage. Computational modeling predicted that the design facilitates the creation of a biologically relevant glucose gradient. This was confirmed by quantitative glucose measurements in cartilage explants. In this system, it is not only possible to create gradients of nutrients, but also of anabolic or catabolic factors. Therefore, the bioreactor design allows control over nutrient supply and mechanical stimulation useful for in vitro generation of cartilage constructs that can be used for the resurfacing of articulated joints or as a model for studying osteoarthritis disease progression.
ISSN:1937-3384
1937-3392
DOI:10.1089/ten.tec.2012.0435