Abstract
Cell-based therapy for articular hyaline cartilage regeneration predominantly involves the use of mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes. However, the regenerated repair tissue is suboptimal due to the formation of mixed hyaline and fibrocartilage, resulting in inferior long-term functional outcomes. Current preclinical research points towards the potential use of cartilage-derived chondroprogenitors as a viable option for cartilage healing. Fibronectin adhesion assay-derived chondroprogenitors (FAA-CP) and migratory chondroprogenitors (MCP) exhibit features suitable for neocartilage formation but are isolated using distinct protocols. In order to assess superiority between the two cell groups, this study was the first attempt to compare human FAA-CPs with MCPs in normoxic and hypoxic culture conditions, investigating their growth characteristics, surface marker profile and trilineage potency. Their chondrogenic potential was assessed using mRNA expression for markers of chondrogenesis and hypertrophy, glycosaminoglycan content (GAG), and histological staining. MCPs displayed lower levels of hypertrophy markers (RUNX2 and COL1A1), with normoxia-MCP exhibiting significantly higher levels of chondrogenic markers (Aggrecan and COL2A1/COL1A1 ratio), thus showing superior potential towards cartilage repair. Upon chondrogenic induction, normoxia-MCPs also showed significantly higher levels of GAG/DNA with stronger staining. Focused research using MCPs is required as they can be suitable contenders for the generation of hyaline-like repair tissue.
Highlights
Cell-based therapy for articular hyaline cartilage regeneration predominantly involves the use of mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes
Despite the fact that both types of progenitor cells, though isolated using different protocols, have features that are suitable for neocartilage formation, a direct comparison of the two cell groups may aid in determining which one demonstrates the better potential for cartilage tissue engineering
This study aimed to compare the chondrogenic potential of fibronectin adhesion assay and migratory progenitors isolated from human osteoarthritic knee joints, to evaluate differences in their biological characteristics and potential for cartilage repair
Summary
Cell-based therapy for articular hyaline cartilage regeneration predominantly involves the use of mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes. As compared to chondrocytes and bone marrow-derived MSCs, chondroprogenitors demonstrate supremacy in terms of higher chondrogenic potential and lower expression of fibrocartilage/hypertrophy markers such as Collagen type I and RUNX210–13 As a result, these cells open up new possibilities and strategies for cartilage regeneration and tissue engineering. Both fibronectin adhesion assay d erived[19,20] and migratory chondroprogenitors[8,21] have been likened to MSCs as delineated by the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) 200622, demonstrating plastic adherence, similar surface marker expression, and trilineage differentiation potential Extensive work on these progenitors has provided information on their growth characteristics, where fibronectin-derived cells displayed clonal growth and required additional growth factors for expansion, unlike migratory p rogenitors[23]. Despite the fact that both types of progenitor cells, though isolated using different protocols, have features that are suitable for neocartilage formation, a direct comparison of the two cell groups may aid in determining which one demonstrates the better potential for cartilage tissue engineering
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