Engineered human meniscus' matrix-forming phenotype is unaffected by low strain dynamic compression under hypoxic conditions.

ABSTRACT: Low oxygen and mechanical loading may play roles in regulating the fibrocartilaginous phenotype of the human inner meniscus, but their combination in engineered tissues remains unstudied. Here, we investigated how continuous low oxygen ("hypoxia") combined with dynamic compression would affect the fibrocartilaginous "inner meniscus-like" matrix-forming phenotype of human meniscus fibrochondrocytes (MFCs) in a porous type I collagen scaffold. Freshly-seeded MFC scaffolds were cultured for 4 weeks in either 3 or 20% O2 or pre-cultured for 2 weeks in 3% O2 and then dynamically compressed for 2 weeks (10% strain, 1 Hz, 1 h/day, 5 days/week), all with or without TGF-β3 supplementation. TGF-β3 supplementation was found necessary to induce matrix formation by MFCs in the collagen scaffold regardl

SUBMITTER: Szojka ARA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7946300 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature