Abstract
We use porcine articular cartilage as an experimental model to extract proteins and glycosaminoglycans to optimize the conditions for extraction of proteins and GAGs from cartilage and the procedures for carrying out biochemical analyses of the extractable materials. Currently, we can extract sufficiently large amount of proteins after treating the lyophilized cartilage slices with guanidine HCl at 60℃, and we have conducted proteomic analysis of these extractable proteins. The work still in progress include: to optimize the extract conditions for glycosaminoglycans and to establish the methodology for glycosaminoglycans analysis. We will analyze normal and pathological human cartilage after establishing above methodologies in order to understanding the function of various cartilage components and to apply useful information for the tissue engineers to develop artificial cartilage.