Tissue Engineering of Cartilage Scaffolds for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

The topic I will be looking at is the Tissue engineering of cartilage scaffolds for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Specifically I will seek to investigate the use of 3D printed polymer based hydrogel scaffolds in conjunction with the appropriate signalling molecules. The ultimate goal of this research will seek to develop 3D printing methodologies that are capable of producing hydrogel constructs with a structure similar to that of natural articular cartilage, which provides an environment capable of supporting the adhesion, differentiation and proliferation of cells to form cartilage. This research will employ such investigative techniques as cell viability assays, mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy and gene expression.

The key questions that this research seeks to answer include:

- How can the fabrication process and features of these hydrogel structures be modified to mimic mechanical properties of natural cartilage ECM?
- How can current 3D printing procedures be adapted to produce more complex structures that incorporate biochemical signalling molecules?
- Is the production of viable articular cartilage possible using methodologies developed during these studies?