Application of shear flow stress to chondrocytes with a bioreactor to produce artificial cartilage

摘要

A bioreactor and method are provided for application of shear flow stress of 1 to 100 dynes/cm2 to cultured mammalian cells used for production of artificial cartilage. The bioreactor is a circulating flow system (16) containing a media reservoir (9), a pump (10), a growth chamber (11) containing a substrate such as a mono-layer supporting surface or a 3-dimensional scaffold, and tubing (12). Shear flow stress can be applied by growing a chondrocyte monolayer on the surface of a rotating drum or rotating disc immersed in liquid growth medium, by growing a chondrocyte monolayer on static plates past which a liquid growth medium is pumped, or by establishing chondrocytes in a 3-dimensional scafold and pumping liquid growth medium through the scaffold. Application of flow shear stress increases the ratio of type II to type I cartilage produced by cultured chondrocytes, and enhances maintenance of chondrocyte phenotype.