Characterization of human nasal septal chondrocytes cultured in alginate.

Background: After serial passages in monolayer, chondrocytes dedifferentiate into a fibroblast-like phenotype. Our objective was to determine if culture in alginate affects the phenotype of dedifferentiated human nasal septal chondrocytes.

Study Design: Human nasal septal chondrocytes were seeded at low density and passaged in monolayer culture.

Review of injectable materials for soft tissue augmentation.

Although a variety of injectable agents are available for soft tissue augmentation, no perfect filler material exists. The advantages and disadvantages of commonly used materials such as bovine collagen have been well documented. However, many newer injectables are still undergoing experimentation to determine their clinical efficacy and long-term safety.

A compositional analysis of human nasal septal cartilage.

Background: Nasal septal cartilage is well established as an autograft material. Tissue engineering methods are now being developed to synthesize cartilage constructs with the properties of this type of cartilage. However, important baseline data on the composition of native septal cartilage is sparse.

Human septal chondrocyte redifferentiation in alginate, polyglycolic acid scaffold, and monolayer culture.

Objectives/hypothesis: Tissue engineering laboratories are attempting to create neocartilage that could serve as an implant material for structural support during reconstructive surgery. One approach to forming such tissue is to proliferate chondrocytes in monolayer culture and then seed the expanded cell population onto biodegradable scaffolds. However, chondrocytes are known to dedifferentiate after this type of monolayer growth and, as a result, decrease their production of cartilaginous extracellular matrix components such as sulfated glycosaminoglycans.

Effects of serial expansion of septal chondrocytes on tissue-engineered neocartilage composition.

Objectives: Cartilage grafts for reconstructive surgery may someday be created from harvested autologous chondrocytes that are expanded and seeded onto biodegradable scaffolds in vitro. This study sought to quantify the biochemical composition of neocartilage engineered from human septal chondrocytes and to examine the effects of cell multiplication in monolayer culture on the ultimate composition of the neocartilage.

Methods: Human septal chondrocytes from 10 donors were either seeded immediately after harvest (passage 0 [P(0)]) onto polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds or underwent multiplication in monolayer culture before scaffold seeding at passage 1 (P(1)) and passage 2 (P(2)).