Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
21935 Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 2008 5 Pages PDF
Abstract

A thermoreversible hydrogel of poly(NiPAAm-co-AAc) was used as an injectable cell and growth factor delivery carrier for cartilage tissue engineering. Rabbit chondrocytes were embedded in composite hydrogels coencapsulated with transforming growth factor β3 (TGFβ3). Hydrogel constructs consisting of embedded cells encapsulated by the thermoreversible hydrogel served as controls to assess the effects of TGFβ3 on chondrogenic differentiation. The hydrogel constructs were injected subcutaneously into nude mice and then monitored for up to 8 weeks after injection. After 8 weeks of implantation, the engineered cartilage acquired normal histological and biochemical properties. These results highlight the potential of growth factor in a hydrogel embedded with chondrocytes as a candidate material for neocartilage formation.

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Physical Sciences and Engineering Chemical Engineering Bioengineering
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