Acoustically modulated biomechanical stimulation for human cartilage tissue engineering12. Issue 3 (4th January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jonnalagadda, Umesh S.; Hill, Martyn; Messaoudi, Walid; Cook, Richard B.; Oreffo, Richard O. C.; Glynne-Jones, Peter; Tare, Rahul S.
• Is Part Of: Lab on a chip. Volume 18:Issue 3(2018)
• Page Start: 473
• Page End: 485
• Publication Date: 2018-01-04
• Subjects: Miniature electronic equipment -- Periodicals; Combinatorial chemistry -- Periodicals; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; 543.0813
• DOI: 10.1039/c7lc01195d
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-0197

Abstract

Abstract : The biomechanical environment in an acoustofluidic bioreactor is modified by controlling the acoustic driving conditions to promote human cartilage generation. Abstract : Bioacoustofluidics can be used to trap and levitate cells within a fluid channel, thereby facilitating scaffold-free tissue engineering in a 3D environment. In the present study, we have designed and characterised an acoustofluidic bioreactor platform, which applies acoustic forces to mechanically stimulate aggregates of human articular chondrocytes in long-term levitated culture. By varying the acoustic parameters (amplitude, frequency sweep, and sweep repetition rate), cells were stimulated by oscillatory fluid shear stresses, which were dynamically modulated at different sweep repetition rates (1–50 Hz). Furthermore, in combination with appropriate biochemical cues, the acoustic stimulation was tuned to engineer human cartilage constructs with structural and mechanical properties comparable to those of native human cartilage, as assessed by immunohistology and nano-indentation, respectively. The findings of this study demonstrate the capability of acoustofluidics to provide a tuneable biomechanical force for the culture and development of hyaline-like human cartilage constructs in vitro .