Tissue Engineering of Human Septal Cartilage Using a Rotary Bioreactor

Tissue engineering of human septal neocartilage offers the potential to produce large quantities of autologous material for use in the repair of cartilaginous craniofacial defects. Culture of septal neocartilage constructs in a rotary cell culture system bioreactor may improve the biochemical and biomechanical properties of engineered tissue. The objective of this study was to characterize the morphological, compositional and mechanical properties of engineered human septal cartilage constructs when cultured in three different environments. Human septal cartilage constructs were cultured in transwell plates for 6 weeks and subsequently cultured for an additional 4 weeks in transwell plates, free-floating in a sterile media bottle, or in a rotary cell culture system bioreactor. The histologic, biochemical, and biomechanical properties of the constructs were examined. All constructs maintained their radial dimensions throughout the culture period. Qualitatively, the constructs cultured in the rotary cell culture system bioreactor were firmer and more resilient compared with the constructs cultured under free-floating static and transwell plate conditions. Culture of human septal neocartilage constructs in a rotary cell culture system bioreactor augmented cell proliferation and extracellular matrix production when compared with constructs cultured in transwell plates and free-floating static conditions. Additionally, rotary cell culture system bioreactor culture enhanced total and type II collagen production. The rotary cell culture system bioreactor constructs possessed improved biomechanical properties compared with the other conditions and this is reflected in their superior resistance to manipulation. These findings suggest that culture in a rotary cell culture bioreactor can modulate the composition and mechanical function of engineered scaffold-free human septal cartilage constructs to produce constructs better suited for reconstructive surgery.