Co-Culture of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Chondrocytes With Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 3 Promotes Chondrogenic Differentiation

Tissue engineering cartilage is a promising strategy to reconstruct the craniofacial cartilaginous defects. It demands plenty of chondrocytes to generate human-sized craniofacial frameworks. Partly replacement of chondrocytes by adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be an alternative strategy. The study aimed at evaluating the chondrogenic outcome of ADSCs and chondrocytes in direct co-culture with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta 3). Porcine ADSCs and chondrocytes were obtained from abdominal wall and external ears. Four groups: ADSCs or chondrocytes monocultured in medium added with TGF-beta 3; ADSCs and ACs co-cultured with or without TGF-beta 3. Cell growth rate was performed to evaluate the cell proliferation. Morphological, histologic and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis were performed to characterize the chondrogenic outcome of pellets. ADSCs had favorable multi-lineage differentiation potential. Further, when ADSCs were co-cultured with chondrocytes in medium added with TGF-beta 3, the cell proliferation was promoted and the chondrogenic differentiation of ADSCs was enhanced. We demonstrate that pellet co-culture of ADSCs and chondrocyte with TGF-beta 3 could construct high quantity cartilages. It suggests that this strategy might be useful in future cartilage repair.