3D-printed EXOs/BMSCs composite hydrogel scaffolds for thyroid cartilage defect repair

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Cartilage tissue regeneration is limited due to its avascular nature, making cartilage defects challenging to treat.
• Laryngeal cartilage defects commonly arise from surgery, trauma, or congenital conditions, with current treatments lacking full functional restoration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a 3D-printed bioactive scaffold for laryngeal cartilage defect repair.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a composite hydrogel scaffold incorporating exosomes and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for enhanced cartilage regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of gelatin (Gel)/alginate (Alg)/hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel scaffolds using a dual-crosslinking method.
• Incorporation of exosomes (EXOs) and BMSCs into the hydrogel to create a bioactive scaffold.
• In vivo evaluation of scaffold efficacy in animal models with histological analysis at 6 and 12 weeks.

Main Results:

• The developed scaffolds exhibited desirable mechanical properties and uniform porosity.
• Inclusion of exosomal growth factors significantly promoted chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs.
• Superior cartilage repair was observed in vivo compared to control groups, evidenced by histological and immunohistochemical analyses.

Conclusions:

• The bioactive scaffold, synergizing biomaterials and cellular components, offers a novel approach for laryngeal cartilage tissue engineering.
• This strategy shows significant potential for advancing the repair and reconstruction of damaged laryngeal cartilage, restoring structure and function.