Abstract
As an alternative therapeutic approach to treating arthropathy such as osteoarthritis (OA), tissue engineering may be promising. To recreate the articular cartilage in vitro, researchers have used scaffold-free approaches such as pellets, cell aggregates and self-assembled tissues, while applying chemical and mechanical stimuli to replicate the in vivo environment. However, there are still many problems to be overcome. To synthesize thick cartilage tissues with adequate mechanical properties, it is crucial to supply nutrients and oxygen to the center of the tissues. In this study, we have developed a new method, the multilayer technique to solve this problem. Compared to conventional techniques constructing tissues in one single block, our proposed layering technique is able to create thicker viable tissues. By optimizing parameters such seeding density and number of layers, we were able to create tissues with better mechanical properties. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of such technique.
