2008 Faculty Researchers

James Cook. DVM. PhD

Chondrogenic Differentiatino of Synovium in Vitro by Sequential Growth Factor Exposure on a Novel Poly - (DL-LACTIC-CO-GL YCOLIC ACIS (PGLA)) Tissue Scaffold

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Department

Orthopaedic Surgery. Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory

Office Location

379 East Campus Drive

Phone #:

Office: (573) 884-0603
Fax: (573) 884-2683

Summary

Meniscal injury is a common source oflameness and osteoarthritis in veterinary and human patients. The avascular portion of the knee meniscus exhibits minimal healing response. Avascular meniscal injury typically results in partial or complete menisectomy, leading to osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering is a novel treatment strategy now investigated for promotion of meniscal healing and regeneration, involving manipulation of cells, cell scaffolds, bioactive factors, and biomechanical stimuli. Synovium may be a useful source of cells for meniscal and cartilage tissue engineering because it is abundant and easily harvested with little morbidity, and it contains stem cells which can undergo chondrogenic differentiation. Our prior research has shown that synoviocytes grow most favorably in vitro in dynamic culture on hydrophilic, non-woven tissue scaffolds. The purpose of this study is to determine if synoviocytes cultured in a rotating bioreactor, on a novel PGLA scaffold, under sequential influence of growth factors, can undergo chondrogenic differentiation, for potential long term application as a source of fibrocartilage for mensical engineering.