Co-culture of Human Articular Chondrocytes Seeded in Polyurethane Scaffolds and Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Encapsulated in Alginate Beads.

Co-culturing is an essential method for unravelling the importance of cross talk and cellular interaction. This chapter describes the preparation of an indirect co-culture technique based on encapsulation of chondrocytes and mesenchymal stromal cells in polyurethane scaffolds and alginate beads, respectively. This way, both cell populations can communicate through paracrine effects in the absence of cell-cell contact. Due to the mechanical properties of polyurethane, this model can be employed in mechanobiology studies. The resulting engineered cultures can provide a more realistic environment, recreating the complex joints' microenvironment and physiology.