Cultivation of auricular chondrocytes in poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(ε-caprolactone) hydrogel for tracheal cartilage tissue engineering in a rabbit model

Abstract

Tissue engineering has the potential to overcome the limitations of tracheal reconstruction. To tissue-engineer a tracheal cartilage, auricular chondrocytes were encapsulated in a photocurable poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG/PCL) hydrogel. Chondrogenic genes, including Sox9, Acan and Col2a1, were up-regulated in auricular chondrocytes after 2 weeks of in vitro cultivation in the PEG/PCL hydrogel. Co-cultivation of 70 % auricular chondrocytes and 30 % bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) accelerated the chondrogenic genes' expression in the PEG/PCL hydrogel. Cartilaginous matrix markers, including proteoglycans and collagen type II, were detected in the chondrocytes-encapsulated PEG/PCL hydrogel after 4 weeks of in vitro cultivation. The higher expression level of cartilaginous matrix markers was observed in the PEG/PCL hydrogel with co-cultivation of 70 % chondrocytes and 30 % BMSCs. After 4 weeks of ectopic cultivation in rabbits, the cylindrical PEG/PCL structure was sustained with the use of a luminal silicon stent. However, without the stent, the construct collapsed under a compression force. No fibrosis or vessel ingrowth were found in the PEG/PCL hydrogel after 4 weeks of ectopic cultivation, whereas the auricular chondrocytes showed proteoglycans' accumulation and collagen type II production. Rabbit auricular chondrocytes could survive and retain chondrogenic ability in the PEG/PCL hydrogel under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. While the PEG/PCL hydrogel did not show sufficient mechanical properties for supporting the cylindrical shape of the construct, the high chondrogenesis level of chondrocytes in the PEG/PCL hydrogel displayed the potential of this material for tracheal tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering applications in otolaryngology—The state of translation

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Enlightenment of Growth Plate Regeneration Based on Cartilage Repair Theory: A Review

“…Meanwhile, several studies have demonstrated that 3D culture of chondrocytes can promote cellular proliferation without changing phenotypes. For example, rabbit articular chondrocytes cultured on poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG/PCL) hydrogel led to the up-regulated expression of chondrogenic genes such as Sox-9, aggrecan, and Col II in 2 weeks, and increased proteoglycans and Col II accumulation after 4 weeks ( Chang et al, 2018 ). Therefore, in order to retain the phenotype of implanted chondrocytes, a favorable strategy is to incubate them in a 3D culture environment before seeding.…”

Progress in Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering: A Review on Therapeutic Cells and Macromolecular Scaffolds

“…Chondrocytes, encapsulated in the ethylene glycol diacrylate/chondroitin sulfate‐methacrylate hydrogel, can greatly proliferate, retaining their classic rounded morphology . The microenvironments of poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(ε‐caprolactone) hydrogel favor the proliferation of the loaded chondrocytes, meanwhile, who retain chondrogenic potential …”