O-alg-THAM/gel hydrogels functionalized with engineered microspheres based on mesenchymal stem cell secretion recruit endogenous stem cells for cartilage repair

Yucong Li; Linlong Li; Ming Wang; Boguang Yang; Baozhen Huang; Shanshan Bai; Xiaoting Zhang; Nan Hou; Haixing Wang; Zhengmeng Yang; Chong Tang; Ye Li; Wayne Yuk-Wai Lee; Lu Feng; Micky D Tortorella; Gang Li

doi:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.05.003

O-alg-THAM/gel hydrogels functionalized with engineered microspheres based on mesenchymal stem cell secretion recruit endogenous stem cells for cartilage repair

Bioact Mater. 2023 May 31:28:255-272. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.05.003. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Authors

Yucong Li^{1

2

3}, Linlong Li^{1

2

3}, Ming Wang^{1

2

3}, Boguang Yang^{1

2

3}, Baozhen Huang^{1

2

3}, Shanshan Bai^{1

2

3}, Xiaoting Zhang^{1

2

3}, Nan Hou^{1

2

3}, Haixing Wang^{1

2

3}, Zhengmeng Yang^{1

2

3}, Chong Tang⁴, Ye Li⁵, Wayne Yuk-Wai Lee^{1

2}, Lu Feng^{1

2

3}, Micky D Tortorella⁶, Gang Li^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
² Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
³ The CUHK-ACC Space Medicine Centre on Health Maintenance of Musculoskeletal System, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, PR China.
⁴ Department of Orthopaedics, Peking University Shougang Hospital, Beijing, PR China.
⁵ Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
⁶ Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

Lacking self-repair abilities, injuries to articular cartilage can lead to cartilage degeneration and ultimately result in osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering based on functional bioactive scaffolds are emerging as promising approaches for articular cartilage regeneration and repair. Although the use of cell-laden scaffolds prior to implantation can regenerate and repair cartilage lesions to some extent, these approaches are still restricted by limited cell sources, excessive costs, risks of disease transmission and complex manufacturing practices. Acellular approaches through the recruitment of endogenous cells offer great promise for in situ articular cartilage regeneration. In this study, we propose an endogenous stem cell recruitment strategy for cartilage repair. Based on an injectable, adhesive and self-healable o-alg-THAM/gel hydrogel system as scaffolds and a biophysio-enhanced bioactive microspheres engineered based on hBMSCs secretion during chondrogenic differentiation as bioactive supplement, the as proposed functional material effectively and specifically recruit endogenous stem cells for cartilage repair, providing new insights into in situ articular cartilage regeneration.

Keywords: Acellular functional scaffold; Adhesive hydrogels; Bioactive hydrogels; Cartilage repair; Solidified secretome.