Appllication of Fungal Mycelia as Vehicle for Chondrocyte Culture in Vivo

Purpose To find the possibility of fungal mycelis as vehicle for chondrocyte 3-D culture. Methods Fungal mycelia were cultured specially and the fungal mycelia mesh were used as vehicle for rabbit chondrocyte culture. The growth and morphology of chondrocytes were observed with phase-constrast microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results The chondrocytes began to adhere to fungal mycelia slowly after chondrocytes were seeded onto fungal mycelia scaffolds and cells fixed on it well one or two days later. Cells proliferated after three-days culture and multiplicative growth was ovserved from 5th to 10th days. Microholes of scaffolds were fulled with chondrocytes two weeks later. Scanning electron microscopy showed that there were a lot of extracellular matrix surrounding cells and fungal mycelia. Conclusions Fungal mycelia is ideal for attachment, growth and function maintanance of chondrocytes, fungal mycelia mesh can be used as vehicle for chondrocytes in 3-D culture.