TGF- β Promotes the Growth of Bovine Chondrocytes in Monolayer Culture and the Formation of Cartilage Tissue on Three-Dimensional Scaffolds

We have investigated the ability of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) to promote the growth and differentiation of chondrocytes in monolayer and on three-dimensional scaffolds. Treatment of chondrocytes with TGF-beta and ascorbate individually stimulated the proliferation of bovine articular chondrocytes about 2-fold when cells were grown in monolayer culture: the combination of TGF-beta and ascorbate resulted in a 3-fold increase in cell number over a 72-h period. Peak stimulation with TGF-beta occurred at about 1.0 ng/ml: bFGF was slightly inhibitory in these assays. TGF-beta led to an increase in glycosaminoglycan synthesis as detected by Western blotting using anti-chondroitin sulfate antibodies. No significant change in collagen type II mRNA or protein was observed. When cells were grown on grown on three-dimensional scaffolds composed of polyglyocolic acid, TGF-beta treatment led to an increase in the size of the cartilage-like constructs produced. This was accompanied by increases in collagen and glycosaminoglycan deposition; immunohistochemical staining showed that the predominant collagen was type II. These results indicate that TGF-beta is capable of increasing the proliferation rate of chondrocytes in monolayer as well as increasing cartilage production on three-dimensional scaffolds and may find utility in the in vitro engineering of cartilage tissue.