fibroblast cells are treated with a chemical inhibitor of protein kinase c such as staurosporine , in conjunction with functionally hypoxic micromass culture so as to be induced into chondrogenic differentiation . such fibroblast - derived , chondrocyte - like cells may be seeded onto three - dimensional polymer scaffolds for use in the repair of articular cartilage lesions , and thus can obviate the need for invasive techniques to harvest autologous chondrocytes from a limited supply of existing articular cartilage , or to avoid the need for obtaining allogeneic chondrocytes from non - biocompatible donor tissues .