Jake is presenting with food volunteered by Sravanti.
Who: Jake Simson
When: September 17th
Where: Clark 110 Homewood
See you all there!
Title: The application of a chondroitin sulfate-bone marrow adhesive towards
meniscal repair
Abstract: Meniscal injuries may lead to joint degeneration and the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. There are few technologies beyond sutures available for surgeons to repair the meniscus, and sutures inherently cause additional damage to the tissue. Adhesives that work to repair meniscus while fixing the tissue in place offer an appealing alternative solution. Here, we demonstrate the use of a NHS-functionalized chondroitin sulfate (CS-NHS) bioadhesive for use in meniscal repair. 10% CS-NHS was mixed with 10% Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) in a 1:1 ratio, and with BM in ratios of 3:7 (70% BM), 1:1 (50% BM), and 7:3 (30% BM). Meniscus cells were encapsulated in gels to quantify in vitro tissue generation, and bovine meniscus explants were glued to observe meniscus cell migration into the adhesive. Constructs were analyzed at one and three weeks using live/dead, H&E staining, and Hoescht dye DNA assays. Glued tissue explants were sectioned and stained with H&E at two and four weeks. Live/dead and Hoescht DNA assays showed statistically significantly higher viability at both time points in CS-BM gels in comparison to CS-PEG. At one week normalized DNA levels increased with BM concentration, but this effect diminished by week three. However, extensive clustering of cells was observed at three weeks in CS-BM gels, indicating cell proliferation. In the explant study cells were observed proliferating on the surface of 70% BM at week two, and at week four cells were seen within the gel proliferating and depositing matrix. These findings indicate that meniscal cell viability in the CS-BM gel remains high after several weeks in culture, they proliferate within the gel, and that meniscal cells are capable of migrating from meniscal tissue first onto the hydrogel surface, and later into BM gels. These are promising preliminary results for the use of CS-BM adhesive in regenerating meniscus tissue.
