Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of chitosan on the growth of nasal septal chondrocytes (NSCs). The final goal was to establish a novel methodology to enhance nasal septal cartilage regeneration. Materials and Methods: Human NSCs were isolated and their morphology was examined using Alcian blue staining and observed by light microscopy. The isolated NSCs were grown with various concentrations of chitosan and the expression of COL2A1 was investigated. Results: NSCs were successfully isolated from nasal septal cartilage. Co-culture with 0.2% of chitosan greatly enhanced proliferation of NSCs compared to control cells. However, 0.5% of chitosan was harmful to NSCs, resulting in cell detachment from the culture plate. Furthermore, the addition of 0.2% chitosan significantly improved the expression of COL2A1 in NSCs. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate that chitosan could effectively guide the attachment and growth of human NSCs. Chitosan appears to be a promising additive for NSC culture, which sets the stage for studying tissue regeneration in nasal septal cartilage deficiency, rhinoplasty, and craniofacial reconstruction.
