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Chondrocyte self-assembly in high-density scaffoldless culture has shown success in producing articular cartilage constructs, and a similar process could be applied to fibrocartilage tissue engineering. Three cell combinations were compared in self-assembly culture—100 chondrocytes, 100 meniscal fibrochondrocytes, and 50:50 co-cultures of fibrochondrocytes and chondrocytes with the goal of creating a proteoglycan, collagen I, and collagen II matrix similar to native meniscus. Two culture surfaces were also compared for self-assembly: agarose-coated wells and tissue culture plastic. After 4 weeks, the resulting self-assembled chondrocyte constructs were 10.24 ± 0.63 mm in diameter and 0.96 ± 0.14 mm thick, weighing 84.5 ± 7.2 mg. Co-culture constructs were smaller and weighed 22.5 ± 1.0 mg. In contrast, the fibrochondrocyte constructs contracted into spheres weighing 1.3 ± 0.3 mg. Immunostaining showed collagen II in the chondrocyte constructs, both collagen I and collagen II in the co-cultures, and only collagen I in the fibrochondrocyte constructs. Collagen densities for chondrocyte, co-culture, and fibrochondrocyte constructs were 41 ± 3, 38 ± 3, and 20 ± 2 μg/mg dry weight, and glycosaminoglycan densities were 230 ± 2, 80 ± 6, and 10 ± 1 μg/mg dry weight, respectively. Self-assembled co-cultures, with their mixed collagen I and II matrix and robust gross characteristics, appear promising for tissue engineering of the knee meniscus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a process that yields tissue‐engineered articular cartilage constructs from skin‐derived cells.Dermis‐isolated, aggrecan‐sensitive (DIAS) cells were isolated using a modified rapid adherence process. The chondrogenic potential was measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry. Filamentous actin (F‐actin) and vinculin organization was detected using fluorescence microscopy.The rapid adherence process led to a selection of DIAS cells, <10% of the entire population. DIAS cells displayed greater chondroinduction potential, as evidenced by the formation of large numbers of chondrocytic nodules on aggrecan‐coated surfaces. In addition, these cells showed higher gene expression and protein production in terms of chondrocytic markers when compared with unpurified dermis cells. Similar patterns of F‐actin and vinculin organization were observed between DIAS cells and chondrocytes. Three‐dimensional constructs from chondroinduced DIAS cells produced greater amounts of cartilage matrix than constructs from the rest of the dermis populations.These findings show a series of steps that work together to form tissue‐engineered articular cartilage constructs using DIAS cells. Since skin presents a minimally invasive, relatively abundant cell source for tissue engineering, this study offers evidence of an efficient and stable technique to form cartilage constructs for future cartilage regeneration with autologous cells from skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]