{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T00:03:46Z","timestamp":1790208226977,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,4]],"date-time":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1530662400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Objective: to obtain a reproducible, robust, well-defined, and cost-affordable in vitro model of human cartilage degeneration, suitable for drug screening; (2) Methods: we proposed 3D models of engineered cartilage, considering two human chondrocyte sources (articular\/nasal) and five culture methods (pellet, alginate beads, silk\/alginate microcarriers, and decellularized cartilage). Engineered cartilages were treated with pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1\u03b2 to promote cartilage degradation; (3) Results: articular chondrocytes have been rejected since they exhibit low cellular doubling with respect to nasal cells, with longer culture time for cell expansion; furthermore, pellet and alginate bead cultures lead to insufficient cartilage matrix production. Decellularized cartilage resulted as good support for degeneration model, but long culture time and high cell amount are required to obtain the adequate scaffold colonization. Here, we proposed, for the first time, the combined use of decellularized cartilage, as aggrecanase substrate, with pellet, alginate beads, or silk\/alginate microcarriers, as polymeric scaffolds for chondrocyte cultures. This approach enables the development of suitable models of cartilaginous pathology. The results obtained after cryopreservation also demonstrated that beads and microcarriers are able to preserve chondrocyte functionality and metabolic activity; (4) Conclusions: alginate and silk\/alginate-based scaffolds can be easily produced and cryopreserved to obtain a cost-affordable and ready-to-use polymer-based product for the subsequent screening of anti-inflammatory drugs for cartilage diseases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym10070738","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,4]],"date-time":"2018-07-04T12:23:02Z","timestamp":1530706982000},"page":"738","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["Human Engineered Cartilage and Decellularized Matrix as an Alternative to Animal Osteoarthritis Model"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Marta","family":"Galuzzi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Tissue Therapy Unit, ASST Niguarda Hospital, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1128-7636","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Perteghella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy"},{"name":"PharmaExceed S.r.l., 27100 Pavia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"Antonioli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tissue Therapy Unit, ASST Niguarda Hospital, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marta Cecilia","family":"Tosca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tissue Therapy Unit, ASST Niguarda Hospital, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0241-0620","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elia","family":"Bari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5462-5629","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Tripodo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8249-5761","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Milena","family":"Sorrenti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Catenacci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Mastracci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Histopathology, Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), IRCCS San Martino IST Hospital, University of Genoa, Largo R. Benzi 8, 16121 Genoa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Federica","family":"Grillo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Histopathology, Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), IRCCS San Martino IST Hospital, University of Genoa, Largo R. Benzi 8, 16121 Genoa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mario","family":"Marazzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tissue Therapy Unit, ASST Niguarda Hospital, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8062-6836","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Luisa","family":"Torre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy"},{"name":"PharmaExceed S.r.l., 27100 Pavia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1016\/j.joca.2017.11.014","article-title":"Osteoarthritis year in review 2017: Clinical","volume":"26","author":"Nelson","year":"2017","journal-title":"Osteoarthr. 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