Title:The Role of Bioreactors in Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Volume: 7
Issue: 4
Author(s): Nigel Mabvuure, Sandip Hindocha and Wasim S. Khan
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Bioreactor, cartilage, cartilage engineering, chondrogenesis, design, scaffold, Tissue Engineering, mesenchymal progenitor cells, autologous chondrocytes, degeneration
Abstract: Cartilage tissue engineering is concerned with developing in vitro cartilage implants that closely match the
properties of native cartilage, for eventual implantation to replace damaged cartilage. The three components to cartilage
tissue engineering are cell source, such as in vitro expanded autologous chondrocytes or mesenchymal progenitor cells, a
scaffold onto which the cells are seeded and a bioreactor which attempts to recreate the in vivo physicochemical conditions
in which cartilage develops. Although much progress has been made towards the goal of developing clinically useful
cartilage constructs, current constructs have inferior physicochemical properties than native cartilage. One of the reasons
for this is the neglect of mechanical forces in cartilage culture. Bioreactors have been defined as devices in which biological
or biochemical processes can be re-enacted under controlled conditions e.g. pH, temperature, nutrient supply, O2 tension
and waste removal. The purpose of this review is to detail the role of bioreactors in the engineering of cartilage, including
a discussion of bioreactor designs, current state of the art and future perspectives.
