A collagen-GAG matrix for the growth of intervertebral disc tissue
Author(s)
Hastreiter, Dawn (Dawn Marie), 1973-
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Advisor
Myron Spector.
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Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and herniation is a significant problem, more so in the aviation field. The IVD also changes during spaceflight. Current treatments for IVD problems can have unfavorable long-term consequences. This thesis investigated a porous, biodegradable collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) matrix for the growth of IVD annulus fibrosus (AF) tissue in vitro in varied culture environments and in an in vivo experiment as an implant for defects in the AF. Five experiments were performed. The first component involved the manufacture and characterization of the CG matrices used in the other studies. Additionally, type I, type II, and 50/50 type I/II CG matrices were made with nearly equal pore diameters, glycosaminoglycan content, and swelling ratios. Second, the capability of intervertebral disc cells to grow into the matrices was assessed by culturing AF explants on top of or between matrices. Cells were able to migrate up to 1 cm from the explant, implying that AF defects of this size could be filled with CG matrices. In the third experiment, explants and explant-matrix constructs were cultured in a rotating-wall bioreactor designed to simulate microgravity. Static culture served as a control. Bioreactor explants were more hydrated and had greater cellular proliferation. This experiment could serve as the ground control for a spaceflight experiment of AF explants. The fourth research component studied the effect of collagen composition on the proliferative and biosynthetic responses of AF cells seeded into CG matrices. Collagen content was varied by using the type I, type II, and type I/II CG matrices with matched characteristics mentioned above. (cont.) Although the results indicated that the type II matrix performed slightly better, no major differences were seen among the matrix types. The fifth investigation was a canine in vivo study to assess the capability of the CG matrix constructs to aid in regeneration of AF tissue in surgically-created defects. No treatment was compared with implantation of unseeded and cell-seeded CG matrices. More tissue grew and more consistent hypercellularity was observed in defects with matrix implantation. From this research it has been shown that the matrix has potential for improving wound healing in the IVD.
Description
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2002. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-137).
Date issued
2002Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and AstronauticsPublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Aeronautics and Astronautics.