Inventors:
Koichi Masuda - Wilmette IL, US
Eugene Thonar - Lockport IL, US
Brian Pfister - Wilmette IL, US
Michael Hejna - Riverside IL, US
International Classification:
C12Q001/22, C12Q001/18
Abstract:
A culture system and method for determining the effect of a test agent on the development, homeostasis or degradation of engineered cartilage tissue. The engineered cartilage tissue is obtained by isolating chondrogenic cells and culturing them to obtain chondrocytes in a cell-associated matrix. The chondrocytes and cell associated matrix are then cultured on a semipermeable membrane to provide the engineered cartilage tissue. The engineered tissue, or one of its precursors, can be contacted with the test agent to determine what effect, if any, the test agent has on engineered cartilage.