Recombinant human type II collagen as a material for cartilage tissue engineering

• Published in: International journal of artificial organs Vol. 31; no. 11; p. 960
• Main Authors: Pulkkinen, H J, Tiitu, V, Valonen, P, Hamalainen, E-R, Lammi, M J, Kiviranta, I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.2008
• Subjects: Aggrecans - genetics; Aggrecans - metabolism; Animals; Bone Substitutes; Cartilage, Articular - cytology; Cartilage, Articular - metabolism; Cattle; Cell Proliferation; Cell Shape; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Chondrocytes - metabolism; Collagen Type II - genetics; Collagen Type II - metabolism; Extracellular Matrix - genetics; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Feasibility Studies; Gels; Humans; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Time Factors; Tissue Engineering; Tissue Scaffolds; Up-Regulation
• ISSN: 0391-3988; 1724-6040
• DOI: 10.1177/039139880803101106

Collagen type II is the major component of cartilage and would be an optimal scaffold material for reconstruction of injured cartilage tissue. In this study, the feasibility of recombinant human type II collagen gel as a 3-dimensional culture system for bovine chondrocytes was evaluated in vitro. Bovine chondrocytes (4x106 cells) were seeded within collagen gels and cultivated for up to 4 weeks. The gels were investigated with confocal microscopy, histology, and biochemical assays. Confocal microscopy revealed that the cells maintained their viability during the entire cultivation period. The chondrocytes were evenly distributed inside the gels, and the number of cells and the amount of the extracellular matrix increased during cultivation. The chondrocytes maintained their round phenotype during the 4-week cultivation period. The glycosaminoglycan levels of the tissue increased during the experiment. The relative levels of aggrecan and type II collagen mRNA measured with realtime polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed an increase at 1 week. Our results imply that recombinant human type II collagen is a promising biomaterial for cartilage tissue engineering, allowing homogeneous distribution in the gel and biosynthesis of extracellular matrix components.