Mansoor Haider : Mixture Models for Cartilage Tissue Engineering in Biomaterial Scaffolds Seeded with Chondrocytes

Cartilage physiology is regulated by a single population of specialized cells called chondrocytes. The chondroyctes are sparsely distributed within the extracellular matrix (ECM) and maintain a state of homeostasis in healthy tissue. ECM degeneration due to osteoarthritis can lead to compete degradation of cartilage surfaces, necessitating total joint replacement. Chondrocytes can be utilized to regenerate cartilage via tissue engineering approaches in which these cells are seeded in biocompatible and degradable biopolymer or hydrogel scaffolds. In such systems, biosynthetic activity of the cells in response to their non-native environment results in regeneration and accumulation of ECM constituents concurrent with degradation of the surrounding scaffold material. In this talk, mixture models are presented for interactions between biosynthesis of ECM constituents and ECM linking in cell-seeded scaffolds. Both ODE-based (temporal) models for evolution of average apparent densities and PDE-based (spatio-temporal) models will be presented for variables including unlinked ECM, linked ECM and scaffold. Model extensions accounting for cell proliferation will also be discussed. Of particular interest are model predictions for the evolution of solid phase apparent density, which is correlated with the compressive elastic modulus of the tissue construct. These models provide a quantitative framework for assessing and optimizing the design of engineered cell-scaffold systems and guiding strategies for articular cartilage tissue engineering.

• Category: Mathematical Biology
• Duration: 01:29:53
• Date:  September 23, 2011 at 11:55 AM
• Views: 100
• Tags:   seminar, Mathematical Biology Seminar