Huang Jianghong, Huang Zhiwang, Liang Yujie, Yuan Weihao, Bian Liming, Duan Li, Rong Zhibin, Xiong Jianyi, Wang Daping, Xia Jiang
Department of Orthopedics, Shenzhen Intelligent Orthopaedics and Biomedical Innovation Platform, Guangdong Artificial Intelligence Biomedical Innovation Platform, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, 518035, China.
Biomater Sci. 2021 Apr 7;9(7):2620-2630. doi: 10.1039/d0bm02103b. Epub 2021 Feb 17.
Acute injury of the articular cartilage can lead to chronic disabling conditions because of the limited self-repair capability of the cartilage. Implantation of stem cells at the injury site is a viable treatment, but requires a scaffold with a precisely controlled geometry and porosity in the 3D space, high biocompatibility, and the capability of promoting chondrogenic differentiation of the implanted stem cells. Here we report the development of gelatin/hydroxyapatite (HAP) hybrid materials by microextrusion 3D bioprinting and enzymatic cross-linking as the scaffold for human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs). The scaffold supports the adhesion, growth, and proliferation of hUCB-MSCs and induces their chondrogenic differentiation in vitro. Doping HAP in the gelatin scaffold increases the fluidity of the hydrogel, improves the gelation kinetics and the rheological properties, and allows better control over 3D printing. Implanting the hUCB-MSC-laden scaffold at the injury site of the articular cartilage effectively repairs the cartilage defects in a pig model. Altogether, this work demonstrates the 3D printing of gelatin-based scaffold materials for hUCB-MSCs to repair cartilage defects as a potential treatment of articular cartilage injury.
由于软骨的自我修复能力有限，关节软骨的急性损伤会导致慢性致残状况。在损伤部位植入干细胞是一种可行的治疗方法，但需要一种在三维空间中具有精确可控的几何形状和孔隙率、高生物相容性以及能够促进植入干细胞软骨分化能力的支架。在此，我们报告通过微挤压3D生物打印和酶交联制备明胶/羟基磷灰石（HAP）杂化材料，作为人脐带血来源间充质干细胞（hUCB-MSCs）的支架。该支架支持hUCB-MSCs的黏附、生长和增殖，并在体外诱导其软骨分化。在明胶支架中掺杂HAP可增加水凝胶的流动性，改善凝胶化动力学和流变学性质，并能更好地控制3D打印。将负载hUCB-MSCs的支架植入关节软骨损伤部位可有效修复猪模型中的软骨缺损。总之，这项工作证明了用于hUCB-MSCs的明胶基支架材料的3D打印可修复软骨缺损，作为关节软骨损伤的一种潜在治疗方法。
