In vitro reconstructed tissues on hyaluronan-based temporary scaffolding

Tissue engineering offers the possibility to reconstruct tissue substitutes in order to replace lost or damaged tissues. The availability of appropria te biomaterial devices is essential to allow in vitro cultured cells to beh ave as in the original tissues in vivo. In our studies we utilized a semina tural biomaterial made up by the benzyl ester of hyaluronan to grow keratin ocytes, fibroblasts and chondrocytes. Keratinocytes and fibroblasts were is olated from human foreskin. Cells were separately cultured on two different hyaluronan based biomaterial devices for the first 15 days and then co-cul tured for an additional period of 2 weeks. Keratinocytes gave rise to a wel l-differentiated epithelial layer, while fibroblasts were able to synthesiz e all the main extracellular molecules inside the biomaterial spaces, formi ng dermal-like tissues. When these two tissues were co-cultured, a skin equ ivalent was formed with a dermal-epidermal junction. Chondrocytes were obta ined from chick-embryo sterna and cultured for 21 days inside a non-woven s caffolding made up of a hyaluronan-based biomaterial. Cells were able to or ganize themselves into nodules embedded in a dense metachromatic substance in which type II collagen was present. Data from this study suggest that th is novel class of hyaluronan derived biomaterials is suitable for different cell culture and in vitro tissue reconstruction. (C) 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers.