Isolation of Chondrons from Hyaline Cartilage.

In native healthy hyaline cartilage, the chondrocytes are surrounded by a pericellular matrix that has a distinct composition and function compared to the hyaline cartilage extracellular matrix. The chondrocyte together with its pericellular matrix is called a chondron. The type VI collagen, which is the main component of the pericellular matrix, is resistant to enzymatic digestion by pure collagenase and dispase that do digest the extracellular matrix.

Human adult, pediatric and microtia auricular cartilage harbor fibronectin-adhering progenitor cells with regenerative ear reconstruction potential.

Remaining challenges in auricular cartilage tissue engineering include acquiring sufficient amounts of regeneration-competent cells and subsequent production of high-quality neocartilage. Progenitor cells are a resident subpopulation of native cartilage, displaying a high proliferative and cartilage-forming capacity, yet their potential for regenerative medicine is vastly understudied. In this study, human auricular cartilage progenitor cells were newly identified in healthy cartilage and, importantly, in microtia-impaired chondral remnants.

Viscoelastic Chondroitin Sulfate and Hyaluronic Acid Double-Network Hydrogels with Reversible Cross-Links.

Viscoelastic hydrogels are gaining interest as they possess necessary requirements for bioprinting and injectability. By means of reversible, dynamic covalent bonds, it is possible to achieve features that recapitulate the dynamic character of the extracellular matrix. Dually cross-linked and double-network (DN) hydrogels seem to be ideal for the design of novel biomaterials and bioinks, as a wide range of properties required for mimicking advanced and complex tissues can be achieved.

The clinical potential of articular cartilage-derived progenitor cells: a systematic review.

Over the past two decades, evidence has emerged for the existence of a distinct population of endogenous progenitor cells in adult articular cartilage, predominantly referred to as articular cartilage-derived progenitor cells (ACPCs). This progenitor population can be isolated from articular cartilage of a broad range of species, including human, equine, and bovine cartilage. In vitro, ACPCs possess mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-like characteristics, such as colony forming potential, extensive proliferation, and multilineage potential.

Selection of Highly Proliferative and Multipotent Meniscus Progenitors through Differential Adhesion to Fibronectin: A Novel Approach in Meniscus Tissue Engineering.

Meniscus injuries can be highly debilitating and lead to knee osteoarthritis. Progenitor cells from the meniscus could be a superior cell type for meniscus repair and tissue-engineering. The purpose of this study is to characterize meniscus progenitor cells isolated by differential adhesion to fibronectin (FN-prog).

Platelet-Rich Plasma Does Not Inhibit Inflammation or Promote Regeneration in Human Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes Despite Increased Proliferation.

Objective: The aims of the study were to assess the anti-inflammatory properties of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and investigate its regenerative potential in osteoarthritic (OA) human chondrocytes. We hypothesized that PRP can modulate the inflammatory response and stimulate cartilage regeneration.

Design: Primary human chondrocytes from OA knees were treated with manually prepared PRP, after which cell migration and proliferation were assessed.

Importance of Timing of Platelet Lysate-Supplementation in Expanding or Redifferentiating Human Chondrocytes for Chondrogenesis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) in articular joints is a prevalent disease. With increasing life expectancy, the need for therapies other than knee replacement arises. The intrinsic repair capacity of cartilage is limited, therefore alternative strategies for cartilage regeneration are being explored.

MMP13 and TIMP1 are functional markers for two different potential modes of action by mesenchymal stem/stromal cells when treating osteoarthritis.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated as a potential injectable therapy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, with some evidence of success in preliminary human trials. However, optimization and scale-up of this therapeutic approach depends on the identification of functional markers that are linked to their mechanism of action. One possible mechanism is through their chondrogenic differentiation and direct role in neo-cartilage synthesis.