Articular cartilage is a thin layer of soft connective tissue that covers the articulating surfaces in moveable joints. The principal function of articular cartilage is to redistribute applied loads and to provide a low friction-bearing surface to facilitate movement within these joints. Annually, over one million procedures involving cartilage replacement are performed in the United States as a result of debilitating ailments affecting articular cartilage. Unlike other connective tissues, cartilage has a limited reparative ability because it is relatively acellular and avascular. Current attempts to engineer articular cartilage are limited by a scarcity of both specialized cartilage-forming cells and biomaterials with appropriate mechanical properties. Therefore, the overall objective of this NSF CAREER research project is to develop alternative biohybrid implants that are readily available and possess appropriate mechanical properties for cartilage reconstruction. The study design will employ a unique mechano-chemical paradigm to differentiate human skin cells into cartilage cells. In addition, novel polysaccharide-based hydrogel materials will be fabricated to allow for the assembly of a functional extracellular matrix by encapsulated cells. Successful completion of the proposed studies may lead to the development of novel living tissue equivalents to restore the function of cartilaginous tissues. In addition, the naturally-derived biomaterials generated from this work will serve as versatile, clinically-relevant platforms to study cellular behavior.
The proposed studies bridge multiple disciplines, including cell biology, materials science, and mechanical engineering, and will be integrated with three specific educational objectives: (1) Course development in orthopaedic tissue engineering, (2) Undergraduate student research internships, and (3) Community outreach geared toward mentoring middle school children.
