Platelet-Rich Plasma Can Replace Fetal Bovine Serum in Human Meniscus Cell Cultures

Concerns over fetal bovine serum (FBS) limit the clinical application of cultured tissue-engineered constructs. Therefore, we investigated if platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can fully replace FBS for meniscus tissue engineering purposes. Human PRP and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) were isolated from three healthy adult donors. Human meniscal fibrochondrocytes (MFCs) were isolated from resected tissue after a partial meniscectomy on a young patient. Passage-4 MFCs were cultured in monolayer for 24 h, and 3 and 7 days. Six different culture media were used containing different amounts of either PRP or PPP and compared to a medium containing 10% FBS. dsDNA was quantified, and gene expression levels of collagen types I and II and aggrecan were measured at different time points with quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the cultured MFCs. After 7 days, the dsDNA quantity was significantly higher in MFCs cultured in 10% and 20% PRP compared to the other PRP and PPP conditions, but equal to 10% FBS. Collagen type I ...