Dedifferentiation of chondrocytes during in vitro expansion remains an unsolved challenge for repairing serious articular cartilage defects. In this study, a novel culture system was developed to modulate single cell geometry in 3D and investigate its effects on the chondrocyte phenotype. The approach uses 2D micropatterns followed by in situ hydrogel formation to constrain single cell shape an...

The vertebrate body is supported by a bony skeleton, which is largely formed by endochondral ossification. To ensure normal bone growth, differentiation of chondrocytes has to be tightly regulated. One of the major regulators of this process is the growth factor Indian hedgehog (Ihh). Endochondral ossification is impaired in Ihh mutant mice due to disturbed chondrocyte proliferation and differe...

The vertebrate body is supported by a bony skeleton, which is largely formed by endochondral ossification. To ensure normal bone growth, differentiation of chondrocytes has to be tightly regulated. One of the major regulators of this process is the growth factor Indian hedgehog (Ihh). Endochondral ossification is impaired in Ihh mutant mice due to disturbed chondrocyte proliferation and differe...

Differentiating cells interact with their extracellular environment over time. Chondrocytes embed themselves in a proteoglycan (PG)-rich matrix, then undergo a developmental transition, termed "maturation," when they express ihh to induce bone in the overlying tissue, the perichondrium. Here, we ask whether PGs regulate interactions between chondrocytes and perichondrium, using zebrafish mutant...

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of articular cartilage has several functions that are unique to joints. Although a technique for transplanting cultured chondrocytes has already been introduced, it is difficult to collect intact ECM when using enzymes to harvest samples. Temperatureresponsive culture dishes have already been clinically applied in the fields of myocardial and corneal transplantati...

The vertebrate body is supported by a bony skeleton, which is largely formed by endochondral ossification. To ensure normal bone growth, differentiation of chondrocytes has to be tightly regulated. One of the major regulators of this process is the growth factor Indian hedgehog (Ihh). Endochondral ossification is impaired in Ihh mutant mice due to disturbed chondrocyte proliferation and differe...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a critical role in cartilage tissue engineering. However, MSCs-derived chondrocytes or cartilage tissues are not stable and easily lose the cellular and cartilage phenotype during long-term culture in vitro or implantation in vivo. As a result, chondrocytes phenotypic instability can contribute to accelerated ossification. Thus, it is a big challenge to mainta...

This study was carried out to explore the effect of DNA hypomethylation on chondrocytes phenotype, in particular the effect on chondrocyte hypertrophy, maturation, and apoptosis. Chondrocytes derived from caudal region of day 17 embryonic chick sterna were pretreated with hypomethylating drug 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine for 48 hours and then maintained in the normal culture medium for up to 14 days....

This study investigated metabolism of autologous chondrocytes after initial expansion immediately before implantation. Chondrocytes cultured in either monolayers or alginate beads were treated with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1), or a combination. Proteoglycan synthesis and DNA content were tested in both cultures. Alginate beads also were analyzed with live/d...

A clonal cell with an acinar cell phenotype, which was induced by 5-azacytidine treatment of a neoplastic human salivary intercalated duct cell line, was cultivated in the presence of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Morphological changes occurred; large cells that were polygonal or round in shape and had numerous vacuoles in their cytoplasm appeared in the treated cells, whereas the same concen...