Abstract
Distinctive characteristics of articular cartilage such as avascularity and low chondrocyte conversion rate present numerous challenges for orthopedists. Tissue engineering is a novel approach that ameliorates the regeneration process by exploiting the potential of cells, biodegradable materials, and growth factors. However, problems exist with the use of tissue-engineered construct, the most important of which is scaffold-cartilage integration. Recently, many attempts have been made to address this challenge via manipulation of cellular, material, and biomolecular composition of engineered tissue. Hence, in this review, we highlight strategies that facilitate cartilage-scaffold integration. Recent advances in where efficient integration between a scaffold and native cartilage could be achieved are emphasized, in addition to the positive aspects and remaining problems that will drive future research.
Highlights
Cartilage is a specialized connective tissue with an extracellular matrix (ECM) that is rich in glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans (PGs)
It seems that strategies which promote collagen deposition by direct cell recruitment or indirect stimulation of cell migration would result in greater scaffold-cartilage integration
Ren et al fabricated a composite scaffold composed of porcine demineralized bone matrix and poly phosphazene (PAGP) microspheres that contained TGF-β1, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs)
Summary
Cartilage is a specialized connective tissue with an extracellular matrix (ECM) that is rich in glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans (PGs). Articular cartilage exhibits very low intrinsic healing capacity due to its avascular nature and scarcity of cells [3]; its injury or damage results in pain and loss of mobility in patients, and the need for medical intervention is its inevitable consequence. Cartilage tissue engineering (CTE) has the potential to enhance healing by embedding relevant cells like articular chondrocytes or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and growth factors (GFs) into scaffolds in order to support cell growth and proliferation (Figure 1) [10,11,12]. We discuss chemical composition, porosity, and load-bearing capacity of biomaterials as properties that can impact scaffold-cartilage integration. We explore bioprinting and recruitment of extracellular vesicles as novel strategies for achieving integration between scaffold and native cartilage
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