Advancements in hydrogel design for articular cartilage regeneration: A comprehensive review.

This review paper explores the cutting-edge advancements in hydrogel design for articular cartilage regeneration (CR). Articular cartilage (AC) defects are a common occurrence worldwide that can lead to joint breakdown at a later stage of the disease, necessitating immediate intervention to prevent progressive degeneration of cartilage. Decades of research into the biomedical applications of hydrogels have revealed their tremendous potential, particularly in soft tissue engineering, including CR.

Advancements in extracellular vesicle targeted therapies for rheumatoid arthritis: insights into cellular origins, current perspectives, and emerging challenges.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains a challenging chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by persistent joint inflammation and damage. While modern regenerative strategies, encompassing cell/stem cell-based therapies, gene therapy, and tissue engineering, have advanced tissue repair efforts, a definitive cure for RA remains elusive. Consequently, there is growing interest in developing targeted therapies that directly address the underlying mechanisms driving RA pathogenesis, such as extracellular vesicles (EVs).

Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and systemic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. The most common form of this disease is chronic inflammatory arthritis, which begins with inflammation of the synovial membrane of the affected joints and eventually leads to disability of the affected limb. Despite significant advances in RA pharmaceutical therapies and the availability of a variety of medicines on the market, none of the available medicinal therapies has been able to completely cure the disease.

An efficient method for cell sheet bioengineering from rBMSCs on thermo-responsive PCL-PEG-PCL copolymer.

Utilizing both medium enrichment and a thermos-responsive substrate to maintain the cell-to-cell junctions and extracellular matrix (ECM) intact, cell sheet technology has emerged as a ground-breaking approach. Investigating the possibility of using sodium selenite (as medium supplementation) and PCL-PEG-PCL (as vessel coating substrate) in the formation of the sheets from rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) was the main goal of the present study. To this end, first, Polycaprolactone-co-Poly (ethylene glycol)-co-Polycaprolactone triblock copolymer (PCEC) was prepared by ring-opening copolymerization method and characterized by FTIR,  H NMR, and GPC.

Development of osteon-like scaffold-cell construct by quadruple coaxial extrusion-based 3D bioprinting of nanocomposite hydrogel.

Despite advances in bone tissue engineering, fabricating a scaffold which can be used as an implant for large bone defects remains challenge. One of the great importance in fabricating a biomimetic bone implant is considering the possibility of the integration of the structure and function of implants with hierarchical structure of bone. Herein, we propose a method to mimic the structural unit of compact bone, osteon, with spatial pattern of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in the adjacent layers that mimic Haversian canal and lamella, respectively.

Long-term passages of human clonal mesenchymal stromal cells can alleviate the disease in the rat model of collagen-induced arthritis resembling early passages of different heterogeneous cells.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease of unknown cause. The interaction of immune system cells and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines with synovial cells leads to severe inflammation in the affected joints. Currently, medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, and more recently, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, are used to reduce inflammation.

Chondroitin sulfate modified chitosan nanoparticles as an efficient and targeted gene delivery vehicle to chondrocytes.

Conventional treatments for osteoarthritis (OA), including drug delivery and tissue engineering approaches, could not offer a high yield of cartilage repair due to the compact and exclusive structure of cartilage. Targeted and high-efficiency delivery of gene sequences is necessary to rebalance the lost homeostatic properties of the cartilage in OA. Herein, we synthesized chitosan (CH)-chondroitin sulfate (CS) nanoparticles (NPs) as a platform for delivering gene sequences.

Synergic role of zinc and gallium doping in hydroxyapatite nanoparticles to improve osteogenesis and antibacterial activity.

Recently, postoperative bone infections have been one of the most crucial challenges for surgeons. This study aims to synergistically promote antibacterial and osteoconductive properties of hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles through binary doping of Zn and Ga ions (Zn-Ga:HAp). Zn-Ga:HAp nanopowders with spherical morphology and homogeneous size are synthesized using a simple sol-gel method.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis: Practice and Possible Promises.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common progressively degenerative joint disease that affects more than 300 million people worldwide. OA is manifested by articular cartilage degradation, chronic pain, deformity, functional disability, and decreased quality of life. A real challenge in OA management is the lack of an effective cure because exiting therapeutics often provide symptom control rather than disease modification; therefore, they fail to prevent disease progression.

Cartilage Repair by Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes: Preclinical and Clinical Trial Update and Perspectives.

Osteoarthritis (OA) and other degenerative joint diseases are characterized by articular cartilage destruction, synovial inflammation, sclerosis of subchondral bone, and loss of extracellular matrix (ECM). Worldwide, these diseases are major causes of disability. Cell therapies have been considered to be the best therapeutic strategies for long-term treatment of articular cartilage diseases.

Microarray analysis identification of key pathways and interaction network of differential gene expressions during osteogenic differentiation.

Background: Adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into three lineages. They are suitable sources for cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine applications. This study aims to evaluate the hub genes and key pathways of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to osteogenesis by bioinformatics analysis in three different days.

Therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells on cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions caused by Leishmania major.

Objectives: Leishmania major (L. major) is a cutaneous leishmaniasis causative agent. Current chemotherapeutic methods are not totally effective in treatment of this disease.

Dual functional construct containing kartogenin releasing microtissues and curcumin for cartilage regeneration.

Background: Regeneration of articular cartilage poses a tremendous challenge due to its limited self-repair capability and inflammation at the damaged site. To generate the desired structures that mimic the structure of native tissue, microtissues with repeated functional units such as cell aggregates have been developed. Multicellular aggregates of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used as microscale building blocks of cartilage due to their potential for cell-cell contact, cell proliferation, and differentiation.

Critical-sized bone defects regeneration using a bone-inspired 3D bilayer collagen membrane in combination with leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin membrane (L-PRF): An in vivo study.

Objectives: We aim to develop a 3D-bilayer collagen (COL) membrane reinforced with nano beta-tricalcium-phosphate (nβ-TCP) particles and to evaluate its bone regeneration in combination with leukocyte-platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) in vivo.

Background Data: L-PRF has exhibited promising results as a cell carrier in bone regeneration in a number of clinical studies, however there are some studies that did not confirm the positive results of L-PRF application.

Methods: Mechanical & physiochemical characteristics of the COL/nβ-TCP membrane (1/2 & 1/4) were tested.

Endothelial and Osteoblast Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using a Cobalt-Doped CaP/Silk Fibroin Scaffold.

A major problem in the treatment of large bone defects is the inability to provide an adequate blood supply to the implantation site. Therefore, a bone regeneration strategy that provides an adequate supply of vessels would address this need. Cobalt (Co), because of its ability to induce hypoxia, has been used to accelerate new vessel formation.

The effect of modified electrospun PCL-nHA-nZnO scaffolds on osteogenesis and angiogenesis.

Large bone defects treatment is one of the challenges in current bone tissue engineering approaches. Various strategies have been proposed to address this issue, among which, prevascularization by coculturing of angiogenic and osteogenic cells on the scaffolds can alleviate this problem. In the present study, modified fibrous scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning and subsequent ultrasonication of polycaprolactone (PCL) containing nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA), with/without nano-zinc oxide (n-ZnO), and polyethylene oxide [PEO] as a sacrificial agent.

Efficacy of mechanical vibration in regulating mesenchymal stem cells gene expression.

This study aimed at investigating the expression of osteoblast and chondrocyte-related genes in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), derived from rabbit adipose tissue, under mechanical vibration. The cells were placed securely on a vibrator's platform and subjected to 300 Hz of sinusoidal vibration, with a maximum amplitude of 10 μm, for 45 min per day, and for 14 consequent days, in the absence of biochemical reagents. The negative control group was placed in the conventional culture medium with no mechanical loading.

Comparative analysis and properties evaluation of gelatin microspheres crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane as drug delivery systems for the antibiotic vancomycin.

In the present comparative study, gelatin microspheres (GMs) were prepared by emulsification-solvent-extraction method using well-known crosslinker: glutaraldehyde (GA) and biocompatible silane-coupling agent: glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). Crosslinking with GA was done by a definite and common procedure, while GPTMS crosslinking potency was investigated after 5, 10, 24, and 48 h synthesis periods and the fabrication method was adjusted in order for preparation of GMs with optimized morphological and compositional characteristics. The prepared GMs were then evaluated and compared as drug delivery systems for the antibiotic vancomycin (Vm).

Correction to: Photobiomodulation with single and combination laser wavelengths on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells: proliferation and differentiation to bone or cartilage.

In the originally published article, the name of the 3rd and 4th authors were labeled incorrectly. The correct names are Mohammadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad and Leila Taghiyar. Also, affiliation 4 has been corrected.