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Culture of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on of poly(l-lactic acid) scaffolds: potential application for the tissue engineering of cartilage

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

Abstract

Purpose

Due to the attractive properties of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) for tissue engineering, the aim was to determine the growth and differentiation capacity of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in PLLA scaffolds and their potential use in the treatment of cartilage diseases.

Methods

MSCs were cultured in PLLA films and thin porous membranes to study adherence and proliferation. Permeability and porosity were determined for the different scaffolds employed. The optimal conditions for cell seeding were first determined, as well as cell density and distribution inside the PLLA. Scaffolds were then maintained in expansion or chondrogenic differentiation media for 21 days. Apoptosis, proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation was assessed after 21 days in culture by immunohistochemistry. Mechanical characteristics of scaffolds were determined before and after cell seeding.

Results

MSCs uniformly adhered to PLLA films as well as to porous membranes. Proliferation was detected only in monolayers of pure PLLA, but was no longer detected after 10 days. Mechanical characterization of PLLA scaffolds showed differences in the apparent compression elastic modulus for the two sizes used. After determining high efficiencies of seeding, the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) was determined and contained aggrecan and collagens type I and X. ECM produced by the cells induced a twofold increase in the apparent elastic modulus of the composite.

Conclusions

Biocompatible PLLA scaffolds have been developed that can be efficiently loaded with MSCs. The scaffold supports chondrogenic differentiation and ECM deposition that improves the mechanics of the scaffold. Although this improvement does not met the expectations of a hyaline-like cartilage ECM, in part due to the lack of a mechanical stimulation, their potential use in the treatment of cartilage pathologies encourages to improve the mechanical component.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation DPI2010-20399-C04-00 project and Instituto de Salud Carlos III RETIC RD06/0014.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Orthopaedic Research, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea, 1, 31080, Pamplona, Spain

    Iñigo Izal, Patricia Sanz-Ramos, Purificación Ripalda, Gonzalo Mora & Froilán Granero-Moltó

  2. Hematology and Cell Therapy Area, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Pablo Aranda, Enrique J. Andreu & Felipe Prósper

  3. Centre for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain

    Harmony Deplaine, José Luis Gómez-Ribelles, Gloria Gallego Ferrer & Manuel Monleón-Pradas

  4. Group of Structural Mechanics and Materials Modelling (GEMM), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Victor Acosta, Ignacio Ochoa, Jose Manuel García-Aznar & Manuel Doblaré

  5. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Zaragoza, Spain

    José Luis Gómez-Ribelles, Gloria Gallego Ferrer, Victor Acosta, Ignacio Ochoa, Jose Manuel García-Aznar, Manuel Monleón-Pradas & Manuel Doblaré

  6. Aragon Program of Regenerative Medicine, Aragon Institute of Health Sciences, Zaragoza, Spain

    Ignacio Ochoa, Jose Manuel García-Aznar & Manuel Doblaré

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  1. Iñigo Izal
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  2. Pablo Aranda
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Correspondence to Iñigo Izal.

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Izal, I., Aranda, P., Sanz-Ramos, P. et al. Culture of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on of poly(l-lactic acid) scaffolds: potential application for the tissue engineering of cartilage. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 21, 1737–1750 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-2148-6

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