However, autologous chondrocytes lack long term proliferation and functionality in vitro, and so another cell source is being searched for which could produce
chondrocytes with an increase in functional lifetime.
Then, to boost the number of cells, which is another hurdle in tissue engineering, the researchers mixed
the chondrocytes with human mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow.
Not exact matches
For instance, to make a rod
with collagen fibers aligned along its length (like a tendon) they cultured
chondrocyte cells in a dog bone - shaped mold
with loops on either end.
One exciting potential for Permacol is that it can be seeded
with the patient's own cells, so that in the future it may be possible to repair cartilage or bone by seeding
with chondrocytes or osteocytes.
«Cartilage cells (or
chondrocytes) isolated and expanded from cartilage tissue have great potential as a cell - based therapy for patients
with, for example, traumatic cartilage defects,» says Juha Piltti, doctoral student at the Department of Integrative Medical Biology.
The team discovered that a certain subset of cartilage - making cells, known as
chondrocytes, replicate themselves, make other bone cells and drive bone growth — findings that could lead to new treatments for children
with facial deformities who normally have to wait until adulthood for corrective surgery.
Furthermore, organ cultured cartilage from ACH mice treated
with statin resulted in increased expression of the aforementioned three genes and also in Runx2 and Col10a1, which indicated that statin stimulated both the differentiation and maturation of ACH mouse
chondrocytes.
By contrast, the R206H ACVR1 mutant only slightly enhances the expression of initial and early chondrogenesis markers (collagen type II and aggrecan), consistent
with a milder stimulatory effect of the FOP ACVR1 mutation on
chondrocyte differentiation.
The choice of the somatic cell for reprogramming, the reprogramming technology chosen, and the differentiation techniques utilised, all work synergistically towards the production of mature iPSCs - derived
chondrocytes which are comparable to patient - derived
chondrocytes, in line
with Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines for an «off - the - shelf» stem cell product.
Even the authors of the esteemed Small Animal Surgery textbook assert, «Most NSAIDs interfere
with chondrocyte (cartilage cells) glycosaminoglycan synthesis and therefore should be used continuously only for a short time.»