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Polylysine Stimulation Of Ectopic Cartilage Formation, Rocky S. Tuan, Dina M. Turchi, David S. Kreitzer

Cells and Materials

Cartilage development, or chondrogenesis, is a process which involves the condensation of prechondrogenic mesenchymal cells, followed by the expression of the cartilage phenotype characterized by the biosynthesis of cartilage-specific, extracellular matrix components. We have previously shown that the cationic biopolymer, polylysine (PL), is able to stimulate chondrogenesis by embryonic limb bud mesenchymal cells in vitro. In this study, we have evaluated the chondrogenesis-stimulating activity of PL in vivo using an experimental system consisting of chick embryonic muscle explants, which were grafted onto the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos maintained in long-term shell-less culture. The muscle grafts were treated with PL …