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Subcutaneously Transplanted Fresh Cartilage in Allogeneic and Xenogeneic Immunocompetent Mouse.
Sakura Uto1,2, Atsuhiko Hikita2, Daisuke Mori3
1Department of Sensory and Motor System Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Tissue Engineering. Part A
|August 7, 2023
Summary
Transplanting allogeneic cartilage with live chondrocytes showed slight immune reactions in mice. Further research is needed to control immune responses and preserve cartilage for transplantation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Orthopedic Surgery
Background:
- Cartilage is generally immune privileged.
- Live chondrocytes are essential for maintaining cartilage structure.
- Current clinical practices remove live cells from allogeneic cartilage transplants for preservation and infection control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the viability and immune response of subcutaneously transplanted allogeneic and xenogeneic cartilage with live chondrocytes.
- To assess the long-term stability and feature maintenance of transplanted cartilage.
Main Methods:
- Femoral heads from C57BL/6 mice were transplanted into BALB/c, BALB/c nu/nu, and syngeneic recipients.
- Cartilaginous particles from human induced pluripotent stem cells were transplanted into BALB/c and BALB/c nu/nu mice.
- Transplantations were analyzed macroscopically and histologically at various time points up to 24 weeks.
Main Results:
- No macroscopic inflammation was observed in any group.
- Syngeneic transplants showed focal ossification and thinning.
- Allogeneic and xenogeneic transplants exhibited slight immune cell infiltration (CD3+, CD4+) and cartilage denaturation/unclear perichondrium structure, indicating immune reactions.
Conclusions:
- Subcutaneous transplantation of allogeneic and xenogeneic cartilage with live chondrocytes elicits mild immune responses.
- Maintaining cartilage features long-term requires strategies to control immune reactions.
- Further investigation into immune modulation techniques is necessary for successful allogeneic cartilage transplantation.
