Mouse chondrocytes in culture: New prospects for the study of bone formation in mammals

Isolated chondrocytes from mouse ribs have been put in culture and maintained for several weeks, till confluence. They retain differentiation, and preliminary data of cells characterization and growth are reported. Electron microscope observations of the cellsin vitro grown are superimposable to those performed on chondrocytes derived from live animals. Mouse chondrocytes, grownin vitro, represent a promising system for the study of bone differentiation, growth and regeneration, also considering the several mutations affecting skeleton formation known in mice, like cn/cn (achondroplasia).