Production and Application of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Spheroids for Cartilage and Bone Regeneration

Abstract

Introduction: Cartilage and bone tissues are widely utilized in regenerative medicine, especially in treating injured cartilage and bone. Some attempts were made to produce these tissues from stem cells and scaffolds for a long time, combined with some growth factors and inducible factors. However, owing to the complexity of cartilage and bone tissues, these efforts generated limited results. This chapter explores the production and usage of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) spheroids in cartilage and bone regeneration. Methods: The data regarding production and applications of mesenchymal stem cell spheroids for cartilage and bone regeneration were searched in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Google scholar databases with the keywords “derived mesenchymal stem cell spheroids”, “cartilage regeneration”, and “bone regeneration”. Results: The formation of cartilage or bone tissue through the use of MSC spheroids mimics the formation of cartilage and bone during embryogenesis. These microtissues can be directly used as materials for transplantation or building blocks to generate the cartilage and bone macrotissues. Conclusion: Based on our studies and recent publications, we support the production and application of microtissues of cartilage and bone from mesenchymal stem cell spheroids for cartilage and bone regeneration.KeywordsBone engineeringCartilage engineeringMicrotissuesMesenchymal stem cellsTissue engineeringRegenerative medicine