Moxon Samuel R, Ferreira Miguel J S, Santos Patricia Dos, Popa Bogdan, Gloria Antonio, Katsarava Ramaz, Tugushi David, Serra Armenio C, Hooper Nigel M, Kimber Susan J, Fonseca Ana C, Domingos Marco A N
Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
Polymers (Basel). 2020 Jun 30;12(7):1478. doi: 10.3390/polym12071478.
Degeneration of articular cartilage (AC) is a common healthcare issue that can result in significantly impaired function and mobility for affected patients. The avascular nature of the tissue strongly burdens its regenerative capacity contributing to the development of more serious conditions such as osteoarthritis. Recent advances in bioprinting have prompted the development of alternative tissue engineering therapies for the generation of AC. Particular interest has been dedicated to scaffold-based strategies where 3D substrates are used to guide cellular function and tissue ingrowth. Despite its extensive use in bioprinting, the application of polycaprolactone (PCL) in AC is, however, restricted by properties that inhibit pro-chondrogenic cell phenotypes. This study proposes the use of a new bioprintable poly(ester urea) (PEU) material as an alternative to PCL for the generation of an in vitro model of early chondrogenesis. The polymer was successfully printed into 3D constructs displaying adequate substrate stiffness and increased hydrophilicity compared to PCL. Human chondrocytes cultured on the scaffolds exhibited higher cell viability and improved chondrogenic phenotype with upregulation of genes associated with type II collagen and aggrecan synthesis. Bioprinted PEU scaffolds could, therefore, provide a potential platform for the fabrication of bespoke, pro-chondrogenic tissue engineering constructs.
关节软骨（AC）退变是一个常见的医疗问题，会导致受影响患者的功能和活动能力显著受损。该组织的无血管特性严重限制了其再生能力，促使诸如骨关节炎等更严重病症的发展。生物打印技术的最新进展推动了用于生成AC的替代性组织工程疗法的发展。人们对基于支架的策略特别感兴趣，其中3D基质用于引导细胞功能和组织向内生长。尽管聚己内酯（PCL）在生物打印中被广泛使用，但其在AC中的应用却受到抑制软骨生成细胞表型的特性的限制。本研究提出使用一种新型可生物打印的聚（酯脲）（PEU）材料作为PCL的替代品，用于生成早期软骨形成的体外模型。与PCL相比，该聚合物成功打印成3D构建体，显示出足够的底物硬度和增加的亲水性。在支架上培养的人软骨细胞表现出更高的细胞活力，并通过上调与II型胶原蛋白和聚集蛋白聚糖合成相关的基因改善了软骨生成表型。因此，生物打印的PEU支架可为制造定制的、促进软骨生成的组织工程构建体提供潜在平台。
