Chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells using microcarrier and bioreactor combination technique

The aim of the current study was to explore the application of microcarrier technology in the rapid amplification and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in a rotating bioreactor. Human ADSCs were cultivated with Cytodex 3 microcarriers in a rotary cell culture system (RCCS), and using inverted and scanning electron microscopes, the ADSCs were observed on the surface of the microcarriers. The harvested ADSCs were stained with safranin-O or toluidine blue histochemical stains, and type II collagen immunohistochemical stain. ADSCs were adherent to the surface of Cytodex 3 microcarriers by 24 h. They became short and spindle-shaped, and as time progressed, the adherence of the cells to the microcarriers gradually improved. By the end of the culture period, the cell densities were 19 times that of the initial cell density. The harvested cells on microcarriers were safranin-O and toluidine blue staining and collagen II-positive staining, which were stronger than the control group. The application of microcarrier technology is able to rapidly amplify human ADSC proliferation and successfully implement chondrogenic differentiation in vitro.