Lindrical confining chamber mounted in an ELF 3200 test frame (Enduratec, Eden Prarie, MN). Samples were compressed to 50 of their original height in 10650 mm steps, with 5 minutes between steps to allow for full stress relaxation. Resultant stresses were recorded at 1 Hz and the temporal profiles of stress were fit to a poroelastic model of tissue behavior using custom MATLAB (MathWorks, Natick, MA) code to calculate the equilibrium modulus and hydraulic permeability [20,21].Results Ex vivo gross analysesUpon gross inspection of in vivo implants after 1 month, aEpigenetics cellular implants had significantly 22948146 decreased in size and lacked dorsal projection. In contrast, 1 12926553 month after implantation, cellular constructs retained their Autophagy general contour visible through the thick skin of the rat, as well as their projection from the animal’s dorsal surface. These findings were even more pronounced at 3 months: acellular specimens were barely visible through the animals’ skin, while cellular constructs maintained their projection and surface characteristics. Ex vivo analysis confirmed in vivo findings. One-month acellular constructs were wispy and amorphous, while cellular scaffolds maintained their tragus, lobule, helix, and antihelix features. This difference was 
even more apparent after 3 months: acellular implants had decreased in size, whereas cellular constructs retained their original anatomic fidelity (Figure 4). Post-harvest weight of cellular constructs was significantly greater than that of acellular constructs after 1 (4.1760.17 g v. 0.8060.07 g, p,161024) and 3 (5.1261.78 g v. 0.6760.03 g, p = 0.021) months. The length of acellular constructs harvested after 3 months was significantly less that that of constructs harvested after 1 month (2.5360.17 cm v. 3.6760.30 cm, p = 0.009). In contrast, cellular construct length did not change over time (3.6360.65 cm v. 3.3460.07 cm at 3 months and 1 month, respectively). Lastly, cellular construct post-harvest width was significantly greater than acellular construct width at 3 months (2.2560.90 cm v. 1.2760.06 cm, p = 0.04) (Figure 5).Figure 5. Ex vivo analysis of specimen length and width. (A) The length of acellular constructs harvested after 3 months was significantly less that that of constructs harvested after 1 month. In contrast, cellular construct length did not change over time. (B) Cellular construct width was significantly greater than acellular construct width at 3 months. * denotes p,0.05. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056506.gFigure 4. Ex vivo gross analysis. Three months after implantation, acellular implants (A) had decreased in size, whereas cellular constructs (B) retained their original anatomic fidelity. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056506.gTissue Engineering of Patient-Specific AuriclesHistologic analysesSafranin O staining of acellular ears harvested after 1 month demonstrated histologic evidence of the formation of a thin capsule (not evident on gross inspection) by spindle-shaped fibroblast-appearing cells, as well as mononuclear cell invasion. However, even at the center of acellular specimens, there was no evidence of cartilage deposition. Cellular constructs harvested after 1 month demonstrated similar evidence of capsule formation and an even more robust infiltration of mononuclear cells. In addition, samples seeded with chondrocytes also demonstrated marked cartilage deposition by lacunar chondrocytes (Figure 6). Safranin O staining appeared to progress with time, with deeper and mo.Lindrical confining chamber mounted in an ELF 3200 test frame (Enduratec, Eden Prarie, MN). Samples were compressed to 50 of their original height in 10650 mm steps, with 5 minutes between steps to allow for full stress relaxation. Resultant stresses were recorded at 1 Hz and the temporal profiles of stress were fit to a poroelastic model of tissue behavior using custom MATLAB (MathWorks, Natick, MA) code to calculate the equilibrium modulus and hydraulic permeability [20,21].Results Ex vivo gross analysesUpon gross inspection of in vivo implants after 1 month, acellular implants had significantly 22948146 decreased in size and lacked dorsal projection. In contrast, 1 12926553 month after implantation, cellular constructs retained their general contour visible through the thick skin of the rat, as well as their projection from the animal’s dorsal surface. These findings were even more pronounced at 3 months: acellular specimens were barely visible through the animals’ skin, while cellular constructs maintained their projection and surface characteristics. Ex vivo analysis confirmed in vivo findings. One-month acellular constructs were wispy and amorphous, while cellular scaffolds maintained their tragus, lobule, helix, and antihelix features. This difference was even more apparent after 3 months: acellular implants had decreased in size, whereas cellular constructs retained their original anatomic fidelity (Figure 4). Post-harvest weight of cellular constructs was significantly greater than that of acellular constructs after 1 (4.1760.17 g v. 0.8060.07 g, p,161024) and 3 (5.1261.78 g v. 0.6760.03 g, p = 0.021) months. The length of acellular constructs harvested after 3 months was significantly less that that of constructs harvested after 1 month (2.5360.17 cm v. 3.6760.30 cm, p = 0.009). In contrast, cellular construct length did not change over time (3.6360.65 cm v. 3.3460.07 cm at 3 months and 1 month, respectively). Lastly, cellular construct post-harvest width was significantly greater than acellular construct width at 3 months (2.2560.90 cm v. 1.2760.06 cm, p = 0.04) (Figure 5).Figure 5. Ex vivo analysis of specimen length and width. (A) The length of acellular constructs harvested after 3 months was significantly less that that of constructs harvested after 1 month. In contrast, cellular construct length did not change over time. (B) Cellular construct width was significantly greater than acellular construct width at 3 months. * denotes p,0.05. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056506.gFigure 4. Ex vivo gross analysis. Three months after implantation, acellular implants (A) had decreased in size, whereas cellular constructs (B) retained their original anatomic fidelity. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056506.gTissue Engineering of Patient-Specific AuriclesHistologic analysesSafranin O staining of acellular ears harvested after 1 month demonstrated histologic evidence of the formation of a thin capsule (not evident on gross inspection) by spindle-shaped fibroblast-appearing cells, as well as mononuclear cell invasion. However, even at the center of acellular specimens, there was no evidence of cartilage deposition. Cellular constructs harvested 
after 1 month demonstrated similar evidence of capsule formation and an even more robust infiltration of mononuclear cells. In addition, samples seeded with chondrocytes also demonstrated marked cartilage deposition by lacunar chondrocytes (Figure 6). Safranin O staining appeared to progress with time, with deeper and mo.
