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Characterisation of articular cartilage progenitor cells : Potential use in tissue engineering

Boyer, Sam. 2006. Characterisation of articular cartilage progenitor cells : Potential use in tissue engineering. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

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Abstract

Articular cartilage is a resilient and load bearing material that provides diarthrodial joints with excellent friction, lubrication and wear characteristics required for continuous motion. However, articular cartilage has a poor regenerative capacity and its degeneration is a common cause of morbidity in terms of loss of joint function and osteoarthritis, frequently resulting in the need for total knee replacement. Articular cartilage has a distinct zonal architecture with biochemical and cellular variations existing from the surface zone to the deeper calcified layers. Thus, the development of the tissue must be stringently controlled, both spatially and temporally in order for the complex structure to be established. Importantly, the surface zone is believed to be responsible for the appositional growth of articular cartilage during development and this growth is believed to be driven by a population of slow cycling progenitor cells within the surface zone itself. The focus of this thesis is the isolation and characterisation of articular cartilage progenitor cells together with an exploration of the cells capabilities in potential cartilage repair therapies. The cells were identified on the basis of differential adhesion assays and colony forming ability. Subsequent experiments were carried out to show the differential expression of various cell surface markers eg Notch 1 receptors and the role of the onco-foetal form of fibronectin, known as fibronectin-EDA on the modulation of cell behaviour. In terms of the potential of the cells for use in tissue engineering, a promising feature of the cells is the discovery that enriched populations of the cells can undergo extensive expansion in simple monolayer cultures and yet retain their ability to undergo chondrogenic differentiation. This property may enable the use of the cells in commercial cartilage repair and/or tissue engineering strategies.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Status: Unpublished
Schools: Medicine
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
ISBN: 9781303204685
Funders: Smith and Nephew Endoscopy
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 30 March 2016
Last Modified: 10 Oct 2017 15:29
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/56057

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