Biomarker Identification Under Growth Factor Priming for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Author(s):  
Elena Alegre-Aguarón ◽  
Sonal R. Sampat ◽  
Perry J. Hampilos ◽  
J. Chloë Bulinski ◽  
James L. Cook ◽  
...  

Adult articular cartilage has a poor healing capacity, which has lead to intense research toward development of cell-based therapies for cartilage repair. The destruction of articular cartilage results in osteoarthritis (OA), which affects about 27 million Americans. In order to create functional tissue, it is essential to mimic the native environment by optimizing expansion protocols. Cell passaging and priming with chemical or physical factors are often necessary steps in cell-based strategies for regenerative medicine [1]. The ability to identify biomarkers that can act as predictors of cells with a high capacity to form functional engineered cartilage will permit optimization of protocols for cartilage tissue engineering using different cell sources. Recent investigations have shown that chondrocytes and synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs) are promising cell sources for cartilage repair [2,3]. The analysis of gene expression and comparative proteomics, which defines the differences in expression of proteins among different biological states, provides a potentially powerful tool in this effort [4]. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of growth factor priming in 2D canine chondrocytes and SDSCs cultures by identifying differentially regulated biomarkers, which can correlate to functional tissue elaboration in 3D.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tongguang Xiao ◽  
Weimin Guo ◽  
Mingxue Chen ◽  
Chunxiang Hao ◽  
Shuang Gao ◽  
...  

The scaffold is a key element in cartilage tissue engineering. The components of Wharton’s jelly are similar to those of articular cartilage and it also contains some chondrogenic growth factors, such as insulin-like growth factor I and transforming growth factor-β. We fabricated a tissue-engineered cartilage scaffold derived from Wharton’s jelly extracellular matrix (WJECM) and compared it with a scaffold derived from articular cartilage ECM (ACECM) using freeze-drying. The results demonstrated that both WJECM and ACECM scaffolds possessed favorable pore sizes and porosities; moreover, they showed good water uptake ratios and compressive moduli. Histological staining confirmed that the WJECM and ACECM scaffolds contained similar ECM. Moreover, both scaffolds showed good cellular adherence, bioactivity, and biocompatibility. MTT and DNA content assessments confirmed that the ACECM scaffold tended to be more beneficial for improving cell proliferation than the WJECM scaffold. However, RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the WJECM scaffold was more favorable to enhance cellular chondrogenesis than the ACECM scaffold, showing more collagen II and aggrecan mRNA expression. These results were confirmed indirectly by glycosaminoglycan and collagen content assessments and partially confirmed by histology and immunofluorescent staining. In conclusion, these results suggest that a WJECM scaffold may be favorable for future cartilage tissue engineering.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60
Author(s):  
Yawen Chen ◽  
Xinli Ouyang ◽  
Yide Wu ◽  
Shaojia Guo ◽  
Yongfang Xie ◽  
...  

Defects in articular cartilage injury and chronic osteoarthritis are very widespread and common, and the ability of injured cartilage to repair itself is limited. Stem cell-based cartilage tissue engineering provides a promising therapeutic option for articular cartilage damage. However, the application of the technique is limited by the number, source, proliferation, and differentiation of stem cells. The co-culture of mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes is available for cartilage tissue engineering, and mechanical stimulation is an important factor that should not be ignored. A combination of these two approaches, i.e., co-culture of mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes under mechanical stimulation, can provide sufficient quantity and quality of cells for cartilage tissue engineering, and when combined with scaffold materials and cytokines, this approach ultimately achieves the purpose of cartilage repair and reconstruction. In this review, we focus on the effects of co-culture and mechanical stimulation on mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes for articular cartilage tissue engineering. An in-depth understanding of the impact of co-culture and mechanical stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes can facilitate the development of additional strategies for articular cartilage tissue engineering.


Author(s):  
Andrea R. Tan ◽  
Elena Alegre-Aguarón ◽  
Divya N. Dujari ◽  
Sonal R. Sampat ◽  
J. Chloë Bulinski ◽  
...  

Strategies for cartilage tissue engineering and repair have recently focused on cell sources from the surrounding joint tissue as an alternative to chondrocytes. Synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs) are found in the intimal layer of the synovium, the thin overlying capsule surrounding the joint space [1] and have been found to exhibit a greater chondrogenic potential than stem cells from other origins such as bone marrow stem cells or adipose derived stem cells [2–4]. Under directed cues, these cells have been shown to be capable of migrating from the synovium membrane into articular cartilage defects, though the mechanism behind such movement is unclear. As a first step, we have previously shown that SDSCs expanded in 2D monolayer culture in a growth factor cocktail of TGF-β1, FGF, and PDGF-ββ exhibit directed cathodal migration with perpendicular alignment when under the influence of an applied DC electric field [5]. As cellular behavior and response to an external stimulus can change with exposure to growth factors and passage number, we look here to characterize the effects of passaging on the migration response of SDSCs to an applied electric field. We hypothesize that if these cells develop more chondrocyte-like characteristics with growth factor passaging, their response will mimic that which has previously been reported for chondrocytes, notably directed cathodal (negative pole) migration and perpendicular realignment of the long axis to the direction of applied field [6].


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Er-Yuan Chuang ◽  
Chih-Wei Chiang ◽  
Pei-Chun Wong ◽  
Chih-Hwa Chen

The treatment of articular cartilage damage is a major task in the medical science of orthopedics. Hydrogels possess the ability to form multifunctional cartilage grafts since they possess polymeric swellability upon immersion in an aqueous phase. Polymeric hydrogels are capable of physiological swelling and greasing, and they possess the mechanical behavior required for use as articular cartilage substitutes. The chondrogenic phenotype of these materials may be enhanced by embedding living cells. Artificial hydrogels fabricated from biologically derived and synthesized polymeric materials are also used as tissue-engineering scaffolds; with their controlled degradation profiles, the release of stimulatory growth factors can be achieved. In order to make use of these hydrogels, cartilage implants were formulated in the laboratory to demonstrate the bionic mechanical behaviors of physiological cartilage. This paper discusses developments concerning the use of polymeric hydrogels for substituting injured cartilage tissue and assisting tissue growth. These gels are designed with consideration of their polymeric classification, mechanical strength, manner of biodegradation, limitations of the payload, cellular interaction, amount of cells in the 3D hydrogel, sustained release for the model drug, and the different approaches for incorporation into adjacent organs. This article also summarizes the different advantages, disadvantages, and the future prospects of hydrogels.


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