Inducing Chondrogenic Differentiation in Injectable Hydrogels Embedded with Rabbit Chondrocytes and Growth Factor for Neocartilage Formation

A thermoreversible hydrogel of poly(NiPAAm-co-AAc) was used as an injectable cell and growth factor delivery carrier for cartilage tissue engineering. Rabbit chondrocytes were embedded in composite hydrogels coencapsulated with transforming growth factor β3 (TGFβ3). Hydrogel constructs consisting of embedded cells encapsulated by the thermoreversible hydrogel served as controls to assess the effects of TGFβ3 on chondrogenic differentiation. The hydrogel constructs were injected subcutaneously into nude mice and then monitored for up to 8 weeks after injection. After 8 weeks of implantation, the engineered cartilage acquired normal histological and biochemical properties. These results highlight the potential of growth factor in a hydrogel embedded with chondrocytes as a candidate material for neocartilage formation.