Rat articular cartilage engineering using alginate fibers under microgravity conditions

Tissue engineering and cell therapy have been presented as optional treatment modalities for focal lesions of articular cartilage. The consequence can vary between a fibrous tissue and a hyaline-like neocartilage. Studies have approved the use of a hydrogel matrix substrate, chondrogenic medium, and a dynamic culture system for developing an articular cartilage tissue to constitute the native-like ECM composition. The objective of this in vitro study was to develop a rat hyaline-like cartilage by culturing articular chondrocytes encapsulated in calcium alginate fibers, under the influence of a microgravity bioreactor inside chondrogenic medium. Our results demonstrated that chondrocytes encapsulated in calcium alginate fibers had higher extracellular matrix production compared with that of calcium alginate beads. The data also suggest that calcium alginate fibers inside rotating bioreactor provides an environment that mediates isolated rat chondrocytes to redifferentiate and form hyaline-like rat cartilage, in vitro.