Abstract
Traditional tissue-engineered cartilage applied in clinical practice consists of cell suspensions or gel-form materials for which it is difficult to maintain their shapes. Although biodegradable polymer scaffolds are used for shape retention, deformation after transplantation can occur. Here, we showed that periostin (PN), which is abundantly expressed in fibrous tissues, contributes to the maturation and shape retention of tissue-engineered cartilage through conformational changes in collagen molecules. The tissue-engineered cartilage transplanted in an environment lacking PN exhibited irregular shapes, while transplants originating from chondrocytes lacking PN showed limited regeneration. In the in vitro assay, PN added to the culture medium of chondrocytes failed to show any effects, while the 3D culture embedded within the collagen gel premixed with PN (10 μg/mL) enhanced chondrogenesis. The PN-mediated collagen structure enhanced the mechanical strength of the surrounding fibrous tissues and activated chondrocyte extracellular signaling by interstitial fibrous tissues.
Highlights
Tissue engineering is a new treatment alternative to conventional tissue transplantation
In the transplantation of the tissue-engineered cartilage (Fig. S1 AC + poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)), the expression of mCol1a1 and mPeriostin was observed at 1 week, in contrast to that of hCOL1A1 and hPERIOSTIN, which was detected during the later stages of transplantation (2 and 8 weeks)
We showed that PN helped the tissue-engineered cartilage to maintain its shape and that it promoted maturation by direct interaction with collagen molecules
Summary
Tissue engineering is a new treatment alternative to conventional tissue transplantation. Deterioration in the supply of nutrition or oxygen causing insufficient cartilage regeneration[9,10], the secretion of catabolic enzymes from migrated inflammatory cells[11], or excessive physical stress applied from an external environment will cause deformity of the transplants[12] These events occur at the interface between a host and a transplant. During the maturation of regenerated cartilage in vivo, fibrous tissues surround the transplants and constitute interstitial areas inside the transplants, both of which can provide a suitable environment for tissue regeneration[13,14]. These fibrous tissues consist of collagen and various proteins, including matricellular proteins, proteoglycans and glycoproteins. We hypothesized that PN expressed in surrounding and interstitial fibrous tissues could promote cartilage regeneration and in vivo maturation by improving the collagen structure in both fibrous tissues
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