Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 37673, Kyungbuk, South Korea.
Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon Street, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, 06351, South Korea; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Ilsan Paik Hospital School of Medicine, Inje University, 170 Juhwa-ro, Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, 10380, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Biomaterials. 2021 Jan;267:120466. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120466. Epub 2020 Oct 20.
Meniscus injuries are prevalent in orthopedic diagnosis. The reconstruction of the structural inhomogeneity and anisotropy of the meniscus is a major challenge in clinical practice. Meniscal tissue engineering has emerged as a potential alternative for the treatment of various meniscal diseases and injuries. In this study, we developed three-dimensional (3D) cell-printed meniscus constructs using a mixture of polyurethane and polycaprolactone polymers and cell-laden decellularized meniscal extracellular matrix (me-dECM) bioink with high controllability and durable architectural integrity. The me-dECM bioink provided 3D cell-printed meniscus constructs with a conducive biochemical environment that supported growth and promoted the proliferation and differentiation of encapsulated stem cells toward fibrochondrogenic commitment. In addition, we investigated the in vivo performance of the 3D cell-printed meniscus constructs, which exhibited biocompatibility, excellent mechanical properties, and improved biological functionality. These attributes were similar to those of the native meniscus. Collectively, the 3D cell-printing technology and me-dECM bioink facilitate the recapitulation of meniscus tissue specificity in the aspect of the shape and microenvironment for meniscus regeneration. Further, the developed constructs can potentially be applied in clinical practice.
半月板损伤在骨科诊断中较为常见。重建半月板的结构不均匀性和各向异性是临床实践中的一个主要挑战。半月板组织工程已成为治疗各种半月板疾病和损伤的一种有潜力的替代方法。在这项研究中，我们使用聚氨酯和聚己内酯聚合物的混合物以及细胞负载的去细胞半月板细胞外基质（me-dECM）生物墨水开发了具有高可控性和持久结构完整性的三维（3D）细胞打印半月板构建体。me-dECM 生物墨水为 3D 细胞打印半月板构建体提供了有利的生化环境，支持细胞生长，并促进封装的干细胞向纤维软骨分化方向增殖和分化。此外，我们研究了 3D 细胞打印半月板构建体的体内性能，其表现出良好的生物相容性、优异的机械性能和改善的生物学功能。这些特性与天然半月板相似。总之，3D 细胞打印技术和 me-dECM 生物墨水有助于在半月板再生的形状和微环境方面再现半月板组织的特异性。此外，所开发的构建体可能有潜力应用于临床实践。
