Cartilaginous Tissues Engineered Using Chondrocytes and Bone Marrow Derived MSCs by a Combination of Rotational Culture and Modified Scaffold Architecture

Introduction Articular cartilage has a poor intrinsic capacity for repair. Bone marrow (BM) derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive cell type for use in cartilage tissue engineering due to their ease of expansion. A central challenge in tissue engineering is preventing core degradation. This challenge will be amplified if MSCs are to be used in the repair of large bone defects via endochondral ossification. We have recently shown that with a combination of modified scaffold architecture and rotational culture a more homogenous tissue using chondrocytes (CCs) can be engineered. The objective of this study is to investigate if this approach can be extended to BM derived MSCs.