Layering PLGA-based electrospun membranes and cell sheets for engineering cartilage-bone transition

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Designing implants to reconstruct tissue transitions can enhance in vivo functionality and integration.
• Articular cartilage repair remains a significant clinical challenge, necessitating advanced treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the combination of electrospinning technology and cell sheet engineering for creating cartilage tissue.
• To develop improved treatments for articular cartilage repair, focusing on the cartilage-bone transition.

Main Methods:

• Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) electrospun membranes were fabricated with collagen type I and hydroxyapatite (HA).
• Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were cultured and layered with scaffolds to create multilayered constructs.
• Constructs were cultured under chondrogenic conditions for 21 days, with cell viability, gene expression (RT-PCR), and protein expression (immunohistochemistry) assessed.

Main Results:

• High cell viability was maintained in the multilayered constructs.
• High expression levels of collagen type X were observed, indicating chondrocyte hypertrophy induction.
• The engineered tissue constructs exhibited characteristics of calcified cartilage.

Conclusions:

• Layering electrospun scaffolds with cell sheets is an efficient approach for engineering tissue transitions, especially the cartilage-bone interface.
• PLGA-based scaffolds show promise for bone-cartilage reconstruction due to the differentiated constructs' calcified cartilage characteristics.