Barry Oakes
  1. Current research activities

    2. a. Currently working on Type I collagen gel delivery system incorporating growth factors for improving delivery (in a more ‘fail-safe’ manner) of chondrocytes proliferated and expanded in vitro for use in autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) in the human knee and ankle joints using the Brittberg & Peterson surgical technology.

    b. Mercy Tissue Engineering is collaborating with the Adelaide Spinal Research group at the IMVS to develop proof of concept of the use of costal cartilage chondrocytes in ‘regenerating’ the proteoglycan and hence water content in ‘rim-lesioned’ sheep IV discs with appropriate controls . This will be done at various planned time intervals post-surgery using detailed sheep IV disc histology and quantitative matrix biochemistry with appropriate immuno-labelling, quantitative X-Ray analyses of lesioned and non-lesioned Sheep IV discs implanted with autologous costal chondrocytes coupled with quantitative MRI analyses of lesioned and control IV discs. To this end an NH& MRC grant application will be submitted in 2004. In 2003 a pilot study of 6 sheep with surgical rim-lesions implanted with autologous costal chondrocytes indicated survival of the costal chondrocytes and maintenance of IV disc height as compared to collapsing IV discs which were surgically ‘rim-lesioned’ and not treated with ACI.

  2. Keywords

    3. Autolgous Chondrocytes, Type I collagen, Intervertebral disc, Nucleus pulposus, Proteoglycans, Implantation. Surgery. Knee Joint.

  3. End-user applications

    • ACI in both the human knee and ankle joints to repair symptomatic articular cartilage loss.
    • ACI in the human IV disc to prevent loss of IV disc height due to nucleus pulposus premature cell death in appropriate patients with low back pain and MRI evidence of loss of IV disc height.


  4. Key publications

    5. I. .IJP Henderson,B.Tuy,D.Connell,B.W.Oakes,W. Hettwer .(2003) .Prospective clinical study of autologous chondrocyte Implantation and correlation with MRI at 3 and 12 months. JBJS 85(B) 7: 1060-1066, 2003.
    II. IJP Henderson,B.Tuy,B.W.Oakes.(2004). Reoperation after Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation. Indications and findings In Press,JBJS (B),2004.
    III. B.W.Oakes .. (2004) . Orthopaedic Tissue Engineering- From Lab to the clinic. Published proceedings of the Bone and Joint Decade Summit, Parliament House,Nov.14-15,2002. In Press. Medical Journal of Australia Special Supplement 2004.
    IV. Chaipinyo K, Oakes BW, van Damme MP. (2004). The use of debrided human articular cartilage for autologous chondrocyte implantation: maintenance of chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation in type I collagen gels . J. Orthopaedic Research. 22:446-455,2004.
    V. Chaipinyo K, Barry W. Oakes Marie-Paule I van Damme (2002). Effects of growth factors on cell proliferation and matrix synthesis of low-density, primary bovine chondrocytes cultured in collagen I gels. J. Orthopaedic Research 20 : 1070 -1078.

  5. Outreach activities

    6. B.W.Oakes . (2003) . Orthopaedic Tissue Engineering- From Lab to the clinic. Proceedings of the Bone and Joint Decade Summit, Parliament House,Nov.14-15,2002. In Press. Medical Journal of Australia Special Supplement 2004.

    Plus others eg : Mercy Private Hospital to General staff re ACI, 2002.

  6. Key organisation membership

    7. Matrix Biology Society of Australia and New Zealand
    Board member International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS)
    Member American Orthopaedic Research Society
    Member Australian and New Zealand Orthopaedic Research Societies

  7. Early career researcher?

    8. No.

  8. Young investigator?

    9. No.

  9. Skills and expertise

    •  Application of Cell Biology to human matrix repair / regeneration
    • Light and Electron Microscopy of ECM
    • Matrix Tissue Biomechanics & correlation with matrix biochemistry and structure
    • ACI and its application in the human, knee and ankle joints and in future human IV discs
    • Other commercial applications of Tissue Engineering

  10. Specialist equipment and infrastructure

    •  Tissue culture laboratory (TGA and ISO accredited)
    • Light and Electron microscopy
    • Cryopreservation equipment
    • Bioreactor and it s application.

© 2004

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