eCM (Eur Cell Mater / e Cells & Materials) eCM Open Access Scientific Journal
 ISSN:1473-2262         NLM:100973416 (link)         DOI:10.22203/eCM

2014   Volume No 27 – pages 312-320

Title: Time and dose-dependent effects of chondroitinase ABC on growth of engineered cartilage

Author: GD O’Connell, RJ Nims, J Green, AD Cigan, GA Ateshian, CT Hung

Address: Columbia University, Biomedical Engineering Department, 351 Engineering Terrace, New York, NY 10027, USA

E-mail: cth6 at columbia.edu

Key Words: Cartilage tissue engineering, chondroitinase ABC, collagen, glycosaminoglycans, articular cartilage, enzymatic digestion, dose dependence.

Publication date: April 23rd 2014

Abstract: Tissue engineering techniques have been effective in developing cartilage-like tissues in vitro. However, many scaffold-based approaches to cultivating engineered cartilage have been limited by low collagen production, an impediment for attaining native functional load-bearing tensile mechanical properties. Enzymatic digestion of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) with chondroitinase ABC (chABC) temporarily suppresses the construct’s GAG content and compressive modulus and increases collagen content. Based on the promising results of these early studies, the aim of this study was to further promote collagen deposition through more frequent chABC treatments. Weekly dosing of chABC at a concentration of 0.15 U/mL resulted in a significant cell death, which impacted the ability of the engineered cartilage to fully recover GAG and compressive mechanical properties. In light of these findings, the influence of lower chABC dosage on engineered tissue (0.004 and 0.015 U/mL) over a longer duration (one week) was investigated. Treatment with 0.004 U/mL reduced cell death, decreased the recovery time needed to achieve native compressive mechanical properties and GAG content, and resulted in a collagen content that was 65 % greater than the control. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that longer chABC treatment (one week) at low concentrations can be used to improve collagen content in developing engineered cartilage more expediently than standard chABC treatments of higher chABC doses administered over brief durations.

 

Article download: Pages 312-320 (PDF file)
DOI: 10.22203/eCM.v027a22