Grants Funded
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Engineering Flexible Cartilage Using Human Chondrocytes
Principal Investigator
Niamh O'Sullivan MD
Niamh O'Sullivan MD
Year
2004
2004
Institution
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Funding Mechanism
Basic Research Grant
Basic Research Grant
Focus Area
Tissue Engineering
Tissue Engineering
Abstract
As the potential for tissue engineering approaches expands for cartilage repair, chondrocytes could be transplanted across syngeneic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic barriers. During the process of engineering cartilage, chondrocytes are removed from their native immunoprotective matrix and the cell surface antigens are exposed to immunologic or antigen-presenting cells. This may lead to immune reaction against the naked chondrocytes, which may lead to pathologic conditions like those associated with arthritis. However, little is known about the expression of MHC molecules (class I or II) in engineered cartilage and their propensity to stimulate an immune response by the host. I propose to use tissue from MGH inbred swine and the numerous cell-marker antibodies available to study the immunogenicity of chondrocytes in large animals that will serve as a valuable preclinical cartilage repair model. I will also isolate chondrocytes from human cartilage in parallel studies.
As the potential for tissue engineering approaches expands for cartilage repair, chondrocytes could be transplanted across syngeneic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic barriers. During the process of engineering cartilage, chondrocytes are removed from their native immunoprotective matrix and the cell surface antigens are exposed to immunologic or antigen-presenting cells. This may lead to immune reaction against the naked chondrocytes, which may lead to pathologic conditions like those associated with arthritis. However, little is known about the expression of MHC molecules (class I or II) in engineered cartilage and their propensity to stimulate an immune response by the host. I propose to use tissue from MGH inbred swine and the numerous cell-marker antibodies available to study the immunogenicity of chondrocytes in large animals that will serve as a valuable preclinical cartilage repair model. I will also isolate chondrocytes from human cartilage in parallel studies.