Hi Dinesh,
This article might interest you:
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE<!--quotec-->
<b>Advancing cartilage tissue engineering: the application of
stem cell technology</b>
by Joanne Raghunath, Henryk J Salacinski, Kevin M Sales,
Peter E Butler and Alexander M Seifalian
ABSTRACT: The treatment of cartilage pathology and trauma face the
challenges of poor regenerative potential and inferior repair.
Nevertheless, recent advances in tissue engineering indicate
that adult stem cells could provide a source of chondrocytes for
tissue engineering that the isolation of mature chondrocytes
has failed to achieve. Various adjuncts to their propagation and
differentiation have been explored, such as biomaterials,
bioreactors and growth hormones. To date, all tissue
engineered cartilage has been significantly mechanically
inferior to its natural counterparts and further problems in vivo
relate to poor integration and deterioration of tissue quality over
time. However, adult stem cells â with their high rate of
proliferation and ease of isolation â are expected to greatly
further the development and usefulness of tissue engineered
cartilage.
INTRO: Introduction
Cartilage is important in joints (hyaline or articular
cartilage) and for structural features (elastic cartilage),
such as the nasal septum. It has a poor regenerative
capacity and its replacement tissue, fibrocartilage, is
mechanically inferior. Chondrocytes are highly specialized
cells that secrete the extracellular matrix proteins.
The extracellular matrix of healthy hyaline cartilage
consists of collagen II (90â95%) with lesser amounts
of collagen types VI, IX, X and XI and proteoglycans.
Fibrocartilage possesses higher amounts of collagen
type I. The mainstay treatment for articular cartilage reconstruction
is arthrodesis (joint fusion) and arthroplasty (joint
replacement), although various approaches to encourage
cartilage regeneration have been attempted [1,2]. Current
synthetic implants have a number of drawbacks,
principally infection, rejection, longevity and unsatisfactory
scarring. Despite recent advances in tissue engineering
the vascularisation of tissue remains problematic [3].
The low degree of vascularisation in cartilage, however,
makes it an ideal target for tissue engineering. Chondrocytes
are difficult to isolate in humans, replicate slowly
and are prone to phenotypic dedifferentiation in culture
[4,5]. This can be further affected by donor age and health
status [6,7]. In view of this, tissue engineering based on
these cells is unlikely to prove successful and instead
studies have focused on the use of stem cells for tissue
engineering cartilage (Figure 1). In this review, we highlight
the potential of adult stem cells (ASCs) for tissue
engineering cartilage and go on to discuss the most
successful biomaterials to exploit these cells.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
(Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2005, 16:503â509)
http://www.current-opinion.com
This article might interest you:
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE<!--quotec-->
<b>Advancing cartilage tissue engineering: the application of
stem cell technology</b>
by Joanne Raghunath, Henryk J Salacinski, Kevin M Sales,
Peter E Butler and Alexander M Seifalian
ABSTRACT: The treatment of cartilage pathology and trauma face the
challenges of poor regenerative potential and inferior repair.
Nevertheless, recent advances in tissue engineering indicate
that adult stem cells could provide a source of chondrocytes for
tissue engineering that the isolation of mature chondrocytes
has failed to achieve. Various adjuncts to their propagation and
differentiation have been explored, such as biomaterials,
bioreactors and growth hormones. To date, all tissue
engineered cartilage has been significantly mechanically
inferior to its natural counterparts and further problems in vivo
relate to poor integration and deterioration of tissue quality over
time. However, adult stem cells â with their high rate of
proliferation and ease of isolation â are expected to greatly
further the development and usefulness of tissue engineered
cartilage.
INTRO: Introduction
Cartilage is important in joints (hyaline or articular
cartilage) and for structural features (elastic cartilage),
such as the nasal septum. It has a poor regenerative
capacity and its replacement tissue, fibrocartilage, is
mechanically inferior. Chondrocytes are highly specialized
cells that secrete the extracellular matrix proteins.
The extracellular matrix of healthy hyaline cartilage
consists of collagen II (90â95%) with lesser amounts
of collagen types VI, IX, X and XI and proteoglycans.
Fibrocartilage possesses higher amounts of collagen
type I. The mainstay treatment for articular cartilage reconstruction
is arthrodesis (joint fusion) and arthroplasty (joint
replacement), although various approaches to encourage
cartilage regeneration have been attempted [1,2]. Current
synthetic implants have a number of drawbacks,
principally infection, rejection, longevity and unsatisfactory
scarring. Despite recent advances in tissue engineering
the vascularisation of tissue remains problematic [3].
The low degree of vascularisation in cartilage, however,
makes it an ideal target for tissue engineering. Chondrocytes
are difficult to isolate in humans, replicate slowly
and are prone to phenotypic dedifferentiation in culture
[4,5]. This can be further affected by donor age and health
status [6,7]. In view of this, tissue engineering based on
these cells is unlikely to prove successful and instead
studies have focused on the use of stem cells for tissue
engineering cartilage (Figure 1). In this review, we highlight
the potential of adult stem cells (ASCs) for tissue
engineering cartilage and go on to discuss the most
successful biomaterials to exploit these cells.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
(Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2005, 16:503â509)
http://www.current-opinion.com