Novel Simple Strategy for Cartilage Tissue Engineering Using Stem Cells and Synthetic Polymer Scaffold

Cartilage created by tissue engineering is a promising new development in facial reconstructive surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histological results of implantation of synthetic polymer scaffold with chondrocytes differentiated from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Adipose tissue obtained from Wistar albino rats was dissociated, incubated and placed in culture medium. After a sufficient level of stem cell proliferation, the differentiation phase was started. Cells were collected on the 7th and 21st day of culture for chondrogenic characterization. After the 21st day of the differentiation phase of chondrocytes, they were transferred onto poly(dl-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone) synthetic polymer and culture continued for 24 hours. The scaffold with chondrocytes was then implanted into a subcutaneous area of skin on the back of the neck of the rat. Six weeks after implantation, all rats were sacrificed and the implantation areas were analyzed. Chondrocytes derived from adipogenic mesenchymal stem cells were stained positively with collagen II, aggrecan and Sox-9 after the differentiation stages. Histological examination of the excised material showed that chondrocytes were present, and the scaffold had been completely absorbed. The results of this study indicate that the differentiation method from mesenchymal stem cells to chondrogenic lineage was straightforward and scaffold with cells was easily accessible. This technique may be a good option for cartilage tissue engineering.