Growth and repair of cartilage: organ culture system utilizing chondroprogenitor cells of condylar cartilage in newborn mice |
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Authors: | A Weiss E Livne K von der Mark D Heinegard M Silbermann |
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Affiliation: | Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa. |
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Abstract: | The zone of progenitor cells of mandibular condyles of neonatal mice was kept in an organ culture system for up to 8 days. Qualitative and quantitative determinations indicated a pronounced proliferative activity during the initial phases of the culture followed by a differentiation phase and the acquisition of typical hyaline cartilage. The mature hypertrophic chondrocytes were found to be surrounded by cartilage-specific macromolecules such as type II collagen, cartilage proteoglycans, and cartilage anchorin. The extracellular mineralization proceeded along matrix vesicles as is usually noted in vivo. A unique finding in this study was the observation that explants comprising cartilage progenitor cells and their adjacent extracellular matrix succeeded in repairing the damaged condylar in vitro. |
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