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Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Chondrogenic Pellet Formation from Cord Blood-derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: June 19, 2017
Cartilage repair using human embryonic stem cell-derived chondroprogenitors.
Aixin Cheng1, Zoher Kapacee2, Jiang Peng2
1Faculty of Life Sciences and Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; Institute of Orthopaedics, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China aixin.cheng@manchester.ac.uk sue.kimber@manchester.ac.uk.
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were differentiated into chondroprogenitors using a chemically defined protocol. These cells demonstrated cartilage repair capacity in vivo, a promising step for treating cartilage lesions.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Stem Cell Biology
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) offer potential for cartilage repair.
- A chemically defined, 14-day culture protocol was previously established to generate chondroprogenitors from hESCs.
- The capacity of these hESC-derived chondroprogenitors for cartilage repair needed investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cartilage repair capacity of hESC-derived chondroprogenitors.
- To optimize and validate the chondrogenic differentiation protocol.
- To assess the applicability of the protocol to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Main Methods:
- Optimized a 14-day chemically defined protocol for chondroprogenitor generation from hESCs and iPSCs.
- Validated the protocol using gene expression profiling (SOX9, collagen II, collagen I).
- Implanted hESC-derived chondroprogenitors in fibrin gel into osteochondral defects in nude rats, evaluating repair histomorphologically and via immunocytochemistry.
Main Results:
- The protocol successfully generated chondroprogenitors with upregulated chondrogenesis markers and downregulated pluripotency markers.
- Implanted cells promoted cartilage repair, evidenced by collagen II deposition and viable human cells at 12 weeks.
- The protocol was effective for both hESCs and iPSCs, with no detection of OCT4-positive cells in differentiated chondroprogenitors.
Conclusions:
- Chemically defined culture of hESCs yields chondroprogenitors capable of promoting cartilage repair in vivo.
- This approach represents a significant advancement towards clinical applications for cartilage repair.
- The protocol's success with iPSCs further broadens its potential therapeutic scope.
