Ear Tissue Engineering
Chondrocyte and mesenchymal stem cell chaperoning
​​A major challenge to the clinical translation of tissue-engineered ear scaffolds for ear reconstruction is the limited auricular chondrocyte (hAuC) yield available from patients. Starting with a relatively small number of chondrocytes in culture results in dedifferentiation and loss of phenotype with subsequent expansion. To significantly decrease the number of chondrocytes required for human elastic cartilage engineering, we co-cultured human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) with HAuCs to promote healthy elastic cartilage formation.
3D Printing
Another major obstacle in the clinical translation of engineered auricular scaffolds is the significant contraction and loss of topography that occur during maturation of the soft collagen-chondrocyte matrix into elastic cartilage. Our custom-designed, 3D-printed, biocompatible external scaffolds significantly mitigated auricular chondrocyte-seeded construct contraction and maintained complex topography.
Reconstruction of the human auricle remains a formidable challenge for plastic surgeons. Autologous costal cartilage grafts and alloplastic implants are technically challenging, and aesthetic and/or tactile outcomes are frequently suboptimal. Using a small animal "bioreactor", we have bioengineered full-scale ears utilizing decellularized cartilage xenograft placed within a 3D-printed external auricular scaffold that mimics the size, shape, and biomechanical properties of the native human auricle.
The de-caged ear constructs were pliable and resumed their native conformation when twisted or bent after 6 months in vivo.
