@article {18406, title = {Novel Osteochondral 3D Model as an In Vitro Technological Platform for In Vitro Screening}, booktitle = {he European Chapter Meeting of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS-EU 2013)}, year = {2015}, month = {2015-06-17 00:00:00}, address = {Istanbul, Turkey}, abstract = {

Adequate in vitro models to evaluate the performance of relevant tissue engineered constructs are still a major demand of the field. Apart from minimizing animal experimentation, in vitro models feature the possibly of addressing species divergences regarding tissues regeneration pathways, and provide reproducible platforms avoiding the heterogeneity of the in vivo models. The aim of this project is to create an osteochondral tissue in vitro model. As proof-of-concept, a bilayered sponge-like scaffold was developed to act as a template for co-culturing rabbit adipose stem cells (rASCs)-derived osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Bilayered low acyl gellan gum (LAGG)-LAGG/hydroxyapatite (HAp) spongy structures were produced respectively integrating cartilage- and bone-like layers and creating a gradient in composition. The freeze-dried bilayered scaffolds composed by LAGG2\%(w/v)/LAGG2\%-HAp20\% and 30\%(w/w) have two integrated layers, with a gradient of HAp in the bone-like layer that, unlike cartilage-like layer, present a bioactive behavior. The bilayered structures possess about 90\% porosity, 500 {\textmu}m of pore size and 85\% interconnectivity as determined by micro-computed tomography analysis. Swelling and degradation tests revealed that the structures can absorb about 120\% of their weight in water and lost 10\% of their mass after 30 days in phosphate buffered saline. In vitro studies with rASCS from Fat Pad are being performed to study cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. The results have shown that the developed bilayered scaffolds have a great potential for finding application as a screening platform of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of osteochondral tissue disorders.

}, keywords = {3D bilayered structure, bioreactor, In Vitro Model, Osteochondral}, url = {http://www.termis.org/docs/termisEU_2013Abstracts.pdf}, author = {Canadas, R. F. and Marques, A. P. and Oliveira, J. M. and Reis, R. L.} }