This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to define methodology to facilitate the growth of engineered cartilage tissue. Recent studies have demonstrated that the alginate recovered chondrocyte (ARC) method can be used to stimulate isolated adult articular chondrocytes in vitro to form viable cartilaginous tissue with good physicochemical properties. The innovation of this work is that it describes for the first time a method in which the cells from articular cartilage from skeletally mature animals can be used to form engineered tissues in vitro. The overall hypothesis of the proposed project is that tissue, engineered using the ARC method, can be used for long-term repair of full thickness cartilage defects. Initial experiments have shown promise in producing ARC tissue as both an allograft (from a donor) and an autograft (from self). The purpose of this proposal is to advance current ARC technology for use as an autograft procedure to repair full thickness cartilage defects in swine. At various times before and after transplantation, the biochemical composition, histological appearance and functional properties will be assessed and related to one another. The data will help determine the feasibility of using the ARC method for the repair of injured or diseased cartilage tissue. The commercial application of this project is in the area of articular cartilage repair The incidence of articular cartilage injury is estimated to be approximately 27,200 cases per year. The proposed research will lead to a commercial method for production of tissue for surgical implantation to repair articular cartilage defects
