Alginate hydrogel embedding poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) porous scaffold disks for cartilage tissue engineering

作者：Choi Sung Wook; Moon Seung Kwan; Chu Ji Yeon; Lee Hye Won; Park Tae Joon; Kim Jung Hyun^*

来源：Macromolecular Research, 2012, 20(5): 447-452.

DOI：10.1007/s13233-012-0130-2

• bimodal porous structure
• scaffold disk
• alginate hydrogel
• chondrocytes

Small poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) scaffold disks (2 mm in diameter) with a bimodal porous structure of 237.5 +/- 34.2 mu m for large pores and 9.2 +/- 3.9 mu m for micropores were prepared by gas-forming and controlled-precipitation methods. Chondrocyte-seeded scaffold disks were dispersed in an alginate solution containing culture media. The dispersion was transferred into a Teflon mold with a specific shape, eventually forming an alginate hydrogel (approximately 1 cm in dimension) that contains cell/disk aggregates after crosslinking using CaCl2. In vitro assessment of the alginate hydrogel showed significant increases in DNA and glycosaminoglycan content after 21 days, suggesting that chondrocyte still proliferated on the small scaffold disks in the alginate hydrogel despite its large dimensions. Moreover, in vivo immunohistochemical analysis of the alginate hydrogel demonstrated that chondrocytes secreted native extracellular matrix proteins (e.g., collagen, proteoglycan). We believe that our approach of using alginate hydrogel containing cell/disk aggregates with a shape fitted to the target site could provide a versatile platform to engineer large and thick tissues and/or organs.

• 出版日期2012-5