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Transplantation of Gelatin Microspheres Loaded with Wharton's Jelly Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Facilitates Cartilage Repair in Mice

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Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

Background:

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent chronic joint disease caused by various factors. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy is an increasingly promising therapeutic option for osteoarthritis. However, the chronic inflammation of knee joint can severely impede the therapeutic effects of transplanted cells. Gelatin microspheres (GMs) are degradable biomaterial that have various porosities for cell adhesion and cell–cell interaction. Excellent elasticity and deformability of GMs make it an excellent injectable vehicle for cell delivery.

Methods:

We created Wharton’s jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs)-GMs complexes and assessed the effects of GMs on cell activity, proliferation and chondrogenesis. Then, WJMSCs loaded in GMs were transplanted in the joint of osteoarthritis mice. After four weeks, joint tissue was collected for histological analysis. Overexpressing-luciferase WJMSCs were performed to explore cell retention in mice.

Results:

In vitro experiments demonstrated that WJMSCs loaded with GMs maintained cell viability and proliferative potential. Moreover, GMs enhanced the chondrogenesis differentiation of WJMSCs while alleviated cell hypertrophy. In KOA mice model, transplantation of WJMSCs-GMs complexes promoted cartilage regeneration and cartilage matrix formation, contributing to the treatment of KOA. Compared with other groups, in WJMSCs+GMs group, there were fewer cartilage defects and with a more integrated tibia structure. Tracking results of stable-overexpressing luciferase WJMSCs demonstrated that GMs significantly extended the retention time of WJMSCs in knee joint cavity.

Conclusion:

Our results indicated that GMs facilitate WJMSCs mediated knee osteoarthritis healing in mice by promoting cartilage regeneration and prolonging cell retention. It might potentially provide an optimal strategy for the biomaterial-stem cell based therapy for knee osteoarthritis.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31971365 and 82271688) and the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2020B1515120090)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Xiaolin Chen, Yongxia Niu, Mingxun Luo, Haiying Liu & Junjiu Huang

  2. Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, The First Affliated Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Sunxing Huang & Junjiu Huang

  3. Joint Centre of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China

    Yiren Jiao

  4. Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325000, China

    Yiren Jiao

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  1. Xiaolin Chen
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The animal studies were performed after receiving approval the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in Sun Yat-sen University, P.R. China. (IACUC approval No. SYSU-IACUC-2021-B1256).

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Chen, X., Huang, S., Niu, Y. et al. Transplantation of Gelatin Microspheres Loaded with Wharton's Jelly Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Facilitates Cartilage Repair in Mice. Tissue Eng Regen Med 21, 171–183 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13770-023-00574-5

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