(445a) Cartilage Production in a Novel Catechin-Loaded Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the articular cartilage lining moving joints that affects approximately 30 million Americans and is a leading cause of disability. There is currently no cure for osteoarthritis, and existing treatment protocols seek to manage pain or replace diseased tissue with non-native materials. Cartilage tissue engineering has emerged as a promising strategy to develop new treatment options; however, this process is far from optimized. The selection of polymers to create scaffolds to encapsulate chondrocytes, the cells contained in cartilage, is a growing area of research as the polymer choice has been shown to affect the mechanical integrity of the engineered tissue, cell viability, and the production of cartilage specific proteins such as collagen (COL) and glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Further, it has been shown that the incorporation of cartilage-specific polymers such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, and others into the scaffold matrix can induce upregulation of extracellular matrix protein production. In this study, we seek to explore the potential of a new thermosensitive hydrogel, PVCL-HA, containing the synthetic polymer poly(N-vinylcaprolactam), covalently bound hyaluronic acid, and catechin, a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory compound. We expect to present preliminary results for osteoarthritic human chondrocytes cultured in three systems: micromass, agarose hydrogels, or PVCL-HA hydrogels. The levels of COL, GAG, and nitric oxide, an indicator of tissue disease and inflammation, will be compared across the three culture systems. We hypothesize that cartilage-specific protein production will be highest for chondrocytes cultured in PVCL-HA hydrogels due to the incorporation of hyaluronic acid in the scaffold. Compared to agarose, PVCL-HA gels provide a culture environment that more closely mimics native cartilage. Further, we hypothesize that nitric oxide levels will be reduced in PVCL-HA hydrogels due to the incorporation of catechin, which has been shown as a potent anti-inflammatory. Should PVCL-HA promote significant improvement in the quality of cartilage tissue, it is expected to prove a viable scaffold option for the production of engineered tissue and the treatment of osteoarthritis.