Schulz Ronny Maik, Bader Augustinus
Department of Cell Techniques and Applied Stem Cell Biology, Center of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Eur Biophys J. 2007 Apr;36(4-5):539-68. doi: 10.1007/s00249-007-0139-1. Epub 2007 Feb 23.
Damage to and degeneration of articular cartilage is a major health issue in industrialized nations. Articular cartilage has a particularly limited capacity for auto regeneration. At present, there is no established therapy for a sufficiently reliable and durable replacement of damaged articular cartilage. In this, as well as in other areas of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering methods are considered to be a promising therapeutic component. Nevertheless, there remain obstacles to the establishment of tissue-engineered cartilage as a part of the routine therapy for cartilage defects. One necessary aspect of potential tissue engineering-based therapies for cartilage damage that requires both elucidation and progress toward practical solutions is the reliable, cost effective cultivation of suitable tissue. Bioreactors and associated methods and equipment are the tools with which it is hoped that such a supply of tissue-engineered cartilage can be provided. The fact that in vivo adaptive physical stimulation influences chondrocyte function by affecting mechanotransduction leads to the development of specifically designed bioreactor devices that transmit forces like shear, hydrostatic pressure, compression, and combinations thereof to articular and artificial cartilage in vitro. This review summarizes the basic knowledge of chondrocyte biology and cartilage dynamics together with the exploration of the various biophysical principles of cause and effect that have been integrated into bioreactor systems for the cultivation and stimulation of chondrocytes.
关节软骨的损伤与退变是工业化国家面临的一个重大健康问题。关节软骨的自我再生能力极为有限。目前，对于受损关节软骨，尚无足够可靠且持久的替代疗法。在这方面以及再生医学的其他领域，组织工程方法被视为一种有前景的治疗手段。然而，将组织工程化软骨确立为软骨缺损常规治疗的一部分仍存在障碍。基于组织工程的潜在软骨损伤治疗方法的一个必要方面，既需要阐明又需要在实际解决方案上取得进展，这就是可靠且经济高效地培养合适组织。生物反应器及相关方法和设备就是有望用于提供这种组织工程化软骨的工具。体内适应性物理刺激通过影响机械转导来影响软骨细胞功能，这促使人们开发出专门设计的生物反应器装置，这些装置可在体外将诸如剪切力、流体静压力、压缩力及其组合等力传递至关节软骨和人工软骨。本综述总结了软骨细胞生物学和软骨动力学的基础知识，以及对已整合到用于培养和刺激软骨细胞的生物反应器系统中的各种因果生物物理原理的探索。
