Abstract
Defects in articular cartilage can develop into osteoarthritis, a condition that affects 10% of Canadians. A clinical method of cartilage repair involves the implantation of articular chondrocytes (ACs) into the defect. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can also be used in this application, after differentiation into chondrocytes. It is difficult to expand either of these cell populations without decreasing the quality of cartilage tissues produced. However, the co-culture of ACs and MSCs can produce enhanced cartilage tissues in tissue culture flasks (T-flasks).
The scale-up of this co-expansion under serum-free conditions is necessary for clinical translation. A serum-free medium (SFM) called PPRF-msc6 was shown to support cell co-expansion. Additionally, these cells were successfully co-expanded in scalable suspension bioreactors as three-dimensional aggregates, achieving cell densities of 95,000 cells/mL and producing more matrix than in T-flasks. Suspension bioreactors can co-expand ACs and MSCs as aggregates using SFM for potential utility in cartilage repair strategies.
