biostudies-literatureGuha Thakurta SUNL Center for BiotechnologyNebraska Research InitiativeNCRR NIH HHSDepartment of Health and Human ServicesNebraska Department of Health and Human Services4798-4810https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4525705biostudies-literatureUnknown10(11)Chondrocyte-seeded scaffolds were cultured in an ultrasound (US)-assisted bioreactor, which supplied the cells with acoustic energy around resonance frequencies (~5.0 MHz). Polyurethane-polycarbonate (BM), chitosan (CS) and chitosan-n-butanol (CSB) based scaffolds with varying porosities were chosen and the following US regimen was employed: 15 kPa and 60 kPa, 5 min per application and 6 applications per day for 21 days. Non-stimulated scaffolds served as control. For BM scaffolds, US stimulation significantly impacted cell proliferation and depth-independent cell population density compared to controls. The highest COL2A1/COL1A1 ratios and ACAN mRNA were noted on US-treated BM scaffolds compared to controls. A similar trend was noted on US-treated cell-seeded CS and CSB scaffolds, though Acta biomaterialiaEnhanced depth-independent chondrocyte proliferation and phenotype maintenance in an ultrasound bioreactor and an assessment of ultrasound dampening in the scaffold.PMC45257051R21RR024437-01A1R21 RR024437Kraft MViljoen HJGuha Thakurta SSubramanian AfalseEnhanced depth-independent chondrocyte proliferation and phenotype maintenance in an ultrasound bioreactor and an assessment of ultrasound dampening in the scaffold.Chondrocyte-seeded scaffolds were cultured in an ultrasound (US)-assisted bioreactor, which supplied the cells with acoustic energy around resonance frequencies (~5.0 MHz). Polyurethane-polycarbonate (BM), chitosan (CS) and chitosan-n-butanol (CSB) based scaffolds with varying porosities were chosen and the following US regimen was employed: 15 kPa and 60 kPa, 5 min per application and 6 applications per day for 21 days. Non-stimulated scaffolds served as control. For BM scaffolds, US stimulation significantly impacted cell proliferation and depth-independent cell population density compared to controls. The highest COL2A1/COL1A1 ratios and ACAN mRNA were noted on US-treated BM scaffolds compared to controls. A similar trend was noted on US-treated cell-seeded CS and CSB scaffolds, though 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z2014 Nov2025-05-31T23:33:49.379Z2025-05-31T23:33:49.379ZS-EPMC45257052506554910.1016/j.actbio.2014.07.013