Advanced cell therapies for articular cartilage regeneration

Advanced cell-based therapies are promising approaches for stimulating full regeneration of cartilage lesions. In addition to a few commercially available medicinal products, several clinical and preclinical studies are ongoing worldwide. In preclinical settings, high-quality cartilage tissue has been produced using combination strategies involving stem or progenitor cells, biomaterials, and biomolecules to generate a construct for implantation at the lesion site. Cell numbers and mechanical stimulation of the constructs are not commonly considered, but are important parameters to be evaluated in forthcoming clinical studies. We review current clinical and preclinical studies for advanced therapy cartilage regeneration and evaluate the progress of the field.