Co-culture of primary chondrocytes and stem cells for regeneration of cartilage in the head and neck

Abstract

Reconstruction of cartilaginous structures of the head and neck is a field that’s been traditionally limited by difficulties sourcing sufficient donor cartilage, post-operative infection and achieving consistent aesthetic and functional results. Bioprinting is a technique that utilises 3D printed scaffolding with embedded bioinks typically containing living cells, supporting structures and hydrogel matrices to create customized implants that could address some of the limitations of contemporary reconstructive techniques.

The development and clinical translation of bioprinting into real word reconstructive surgery is an extensive ongoing task requiring the collaboration of scientists, engineers, and surgeons. In this thesis, we hope to better inform the choice of living cell types for cell-laden bioinks through answering two key questions:

1. Is there a role for co-culture of chondrocytes with stem cells as a method of expanding effective chondrocyte populations – helping to address limitations where sufficient donor cartilage is unavailable.

2. Are there any key differences between the harvest, digestion and proliferation of auricular and nasal septal chondrocytes – helping to better understand the impact of different donor sites on chondrocytes and its impact on clinical practice.

Our thesis concludes that co-culture of chondrocytes with stem cells at the same cell density is at least equivalent to mono-culture of chondrocytes, supporting its use as a technique for expanding effective chondrocyte populations and reducing the quantity of donor cartilage required. This thesis also found both auricular and nasal septal cartilage could be safely harvested from the concha and nasal septum respectively and kept free of contamination prior to digestion utilising an antibiotic solution, with no significant differences in proliferation rates between the two types.