Adult Stem Cells and Hydrogels for Cartilage Regeneration

Title:Adult Stem Cells and Hydrogels for Cartilage Regeneration

Volume: 13 Issue: 7

Author(s): Lei Wang, Juan Huang, Chenglong Huang, Qing Li, Lin Liu, Shihong Luo and Jingang Xiao*

Affiliation:

• Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000,China

Keywords: Cartilage, adult stem cells, hydrogels, growth factors, chondrogenic differentiation, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering.

Abstract: Cartilage tissue engineering is emerging as a therapeutic approach for the repair and regeneration of cartilage tissue defects resulting from trauma and disease. It is still essential to explore approaches that employ combinations of ideal seed cells, biomaterials, and growth factors to repair defect areas because cartilage lacks spontaneous regenerative capabilities and traditional treatments do not fully satisfy clinical requirements. The purpose of this review is to summarize key advances in this area with an emphasis on adult stem cells because these cells possess a self-renewal ability and the potential for multi-directional differentiation when cultured under appropriate conditions, such as chondrocyte differentiation to synthesize cartilage-specific matrix proteins. Additionally, hydrogels and their synergistic action with growth factors to co-regulate cell behaviors and cartilage regeneration will be addressed. Hydrogels are three-dimensional water-swollen networks that provide a unique microenvironment to promote the chondrogenic phenotype by encapsulating cells as a functional cartilage substitute in a defect area. Ultimately, this review presents the prospect of combining adult stem cells, hydrogels, and growth factors using interdisciplinary approaches that may lead to significant breakthroughs in cartilage regeneration in the future.

Cite this article as:

Wang Lei , Huang Juan , Huang Chenglong , Li Qing, Liu Lin , Luo Shihong and Xiao Jingang *, Adult Stem Cells and Hydrogels for Cartilage Regeneration, Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2018; 13 (7) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1574888X12666170511142917