Enhanced Chondrogenesis by Three-dimensional Co-culture of Chondrocytes and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using Controlled Spheres

초록

Several ways of treatments using chondrocytes have been used for the repair of degenerative arthritis. However, obtaining sufficient numbers of cells for the treatments is usually difficult. This shortage problem can be overcome by co-culture of chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to improve chondrogenesis. In this work, a large number of chondrocytes could be harvested by co-cultivating chondrocytes with MSCs using three-dimensional culture system. Sphere formation with the two kinds of cells was confirmed via hanging drop method. Spheres were formed in 96-well hanging drop plates. Scale-up of controlled spheres was performed in 125-mL Erlenmeyer flasks and chondrogenesis was promoted. This approach shows potential in cartilage regeneration since it can provide sufficient number of chondrocytes for degenerative arthritis therapy through cost-effective way.