Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Experimental Approaches to Tissue Engineering
Published on: August 30, 2007
Different Sources of Stem Cells and their Application in Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Quanquan Ma1, Jinfeng Liao1, Xiaoxiao Cai1
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
Background:
The articular cartilage is unique in that it contains only a single type of cell and shows poor ability for spontaneous healing. Currently, approaches for treating cartilage defects include surgical and nonsurgical approaches, as well as cartilage tissue engineering. For standard cartilage tissue engineering, three elements are required, i.e., a scaffold, growth factors, and seed cells. With advancements in stem cell research, the main sources of cells for cartilage tissue engineering are embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells, which have been shown to be promising alternatives in recent years.
Objective:
In this review, we focus on the applications of various stem cells in cartilage tissue engineering.
Results:
Under certain conditions, several types of stem cells, including embryonic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and cartilage progenitor cells, showed potential for applications in chondrogenic differentiation.
Conclusion:
Stem cells can be developed as important cell sources for cartilage tissue engineering if appropriate microenvironments and bioactive factors are supplied. However, further studies are needed to determine the ideal cell type for cartilage repair, particularly using in vivo and clinical studies.
Related Concept Videos
Source And Potency Of Stem Cells
Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue
Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells
Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells
However, failure of such a system...
Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
Adult Stem Cells

