A three-dimensional collagen network for cartilage reconstruction

To obtain a three-dimensional network which would support cells during culture, cold collagen solution was mixed with cells and converted into a gel at 37 °C. Gelation of collagen did not influence cell viability. The development of chondrocyte cultures in collagen gels depended on the distance between the cells. Single chondrocytes were surrounded by a mucopolysaccharide ring. The collagen fibres in parts of the cultures with moderate cell density were strongly alcian-blue-positive. Chondrocytes in crowded areas of cultures formed a cartilage matrix. Collagen gel with Ehrlich ascites tumour cells and liver cells remained unchanged after cultivation. Cultures of kidney cells and some chondrocyte cultures shrivelled, owing to partial collagen digestion. The delicate primary collagen network in some cultures partially transformed to much thicker, long fibres or to distinct capsules around chondrocytes.