Growth and growth factor production by human nasal septal chondrocytes in serum-free media

Background: Tissue-engineered human cartilage offers vast possibilities as a source of graft implant material for reconstructive surgery. Serum-supplemented growth media is successful in supporting chondrocyte proliferation in vitro. Serum, however, contains exogenous growth factors that hamper the identification and quantification of growth factors autogenously produced by chondrocytes. We explore the possibility of using a commercially available serum-free medium UltraCULTURE as an alternative to modified Webber's medium (MWM), the standard media used in chondrocyte cell culture. Methods: Human nasal septal chondrocytes were grown in UltraCULTURE containing various concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF; 0, 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL) with or without insulin-like growth factor and compared with chondrocytes grown in MWM. Growth curves and transforming growth factor (TGF) β1 production were analyzed. Results: We found no differences in the ability to sustain cell viability in culture between the two base media types. We also found no statistically significant differences in TGF-β1 production by chondrocytes grown in either system. Finally, there were no statistically significant differences in chondrocyte proliferation between cultures supplemented with bFGF at 10 and 100 ng/mL. Conclusion: UltraCULTURE media is a cost-effective, serum-free alternative to standard media with compatible growth characteristics. It offers specific advantages over standard serum-containing media for the precise measurement of autogenous growth factor production by cultured chondrocytes. Furthermore, UltraCULTURE's serum-free environment would be ideal for safely producing tissue-engineered cartilage grafts.