A Bioengineering Approach to Assist Regeneration of Damaged Dermal and Neural Tissues

Carlos E. Semino and Hans Jörg Meisel

Translational Center for Regenerative Medicine (TRM), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany

Intervertebral disc degeneration in lumbar spine can be retarded by autologous disc chondrocyte transplantation. Propagated under GMP conditions, it is necessary for cultured autologous chondrocytes to retain an injectable consistency for the minimally-invasive transplantation to be successful. Current methods utilize a water-like nutrient solution that suspends the cells and protects the cells from physiological axial loading in the lumbar spine.

Our plan is to develop higher viscosity solutions as a carrier for the autologous chondrocytes that still remain implantable via minimally-invasive technique. As potential carriers in our initial consideration: A synthetic biological material with properties of hydrogel will be developed to be tested. These substances will be implanted in a small animal model and compared to the current standard of delivery, the water-like solution. To investigate the influence of axial loading forces on the chondrocyte carrier solution, half of the animals will be implanted with a device that reduces the axial forces in the lumbar spine.

The goal is to develop a synthetic, bio-mimetic, nano-fiber scaffold with inherent features that retain a similarity to natural extracellular matrices, yet also contains characteristics that are consistent with a desire for the carrier to be injectable, exemplify tissue-specific therapeutic capacity, and be non-inflammatory and non-immunogenic.

We suspect that by using biocompatible materials as a carrier, cells will increase production of aggrecan in the intervertebral disc after transplantation. To relate the production of aggrecan and the rate of regeneration in the lumbar intervertebral disc after transplantation in human, the canine has been chosen as a large animal model. A large animal model such as the canine offers a spinal configuration comparable to the human with regard to loading area and ratio of anular to nucleus anatomy.