Effect of type I and type II collagen sponges as 3D scaffolds for hyaline cartilage-like tissue regeneration on phenotypic control of seeded chondrocytes in vitro

Biodegradable polymers have been adopted as materials of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for regenerating cartilage-like tissues by using tissue engineering. On the other hand, it is well recognized that phenotypic control of seeded chondrocytes is indispensable for constructing not fibrous but hyaline cartilage-like tissue. According to the context, type 11 collagen is focused as a candidate of scaffold materials for articular cartilage regeneration. This study compared viability and gene expressions of seeded chondrocytes in type I and type 11 collagen sponges. The results show that the seeded chondrocytes were well distributed and alive in the both sponges in 20 days of culture, and no significant difference in type 1, type If and aggrecan gene expressions was found between both sponges. The effect of type 11 collagen as a scaffold material having outside in-signals on regeneration of hyaline cartilage-like tissue was not detected at least at the initial stage of tissue regeneration. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.