Controlled Release of Glucosamine Affects Chondrocyte Activity in Vitro

Student Researchers: Chris Rivet – B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University
Brandon Johnson – Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering

In osteoarthritic situations, cartilage tissue degrades creating a painful condition where bone, once buffered by the cartilage, comes into contact with other bone. Glucosamine is available to patients suffering from osteoarthritis, but there are questions concerning the efficacy of oral glucosamine administration. Our agarose/methylcellulose hydrogel mechanically behaves similarly to that of native cartilage. In this project, we have loaded the proteoglycan precursor, glucosamine into our agarose/methylcellulose blend to determine how the sustained release of glucosamine affects chondrocytes in vitro.