Growth of Cartilage in Vitro: Role of Mechanical Forces

这是一项关于软骨体外生长的基础工程研究。这个项目的成功完成将需要工程师、细胞生理学家和生物化学家之间的合作。作为一门新兴的工程技术，这一课题的重要性怎么强调都不为过。体外培养的活软骨组织将对替换有缺陷的身体部位产生巨大影响。这项研究将在体外培养的软骨切片上诱导已知的应变，并测试软骨合成与其结构和/或功能相关的重要分子。这项基础性研究应该会产生各种形式的软骨，最终可以用于移植。

This is a fundamental engineering study pertaining to the in vitro growth of cartilage. The successful completion of this project will require cooperation among engineers, cellular physiologists and biochemists. The importance of this topic as an emerging engineering technology can not be over stated. Living cartilage tissue grown in vitro will have an enormous impact upon the replacement of defective body parts. This research will induce a known strain upon a section of cartilage grown in vitro and test the cartilage for the synthesis of important molecules related to its structure and/or function. This fundamental study should lead to the production of various forms of cartilage that could ultimately be used for transplantation.