AO Research Institute Davos, Clavadelerstrasse 8, 7270, Davos Platz, Switzerland.
Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Medical Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstrasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
Stem Cell Rev Rep. 2021 Oct;17(5):1647-1665. doi: 10.1007/s12015-021-10170-6. Epub 2021 May 5.
Cartilage injuries following trauma create a puzzling clinical scenario. The finite reparative potential of articular cartilage is well known, and injuries are associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis. Cell-based therapies have spotlighted chondrocytes and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as the functional unit of articular cartilage and the progenitor cells, respectively. The available clinical treatments cannot reproduce the biomechanical properties of articular cartilage and call for continuous investigations into alternative approaches. Co-cultures of chondrocytes and MSCs are an attractive in vitro system to step closer to the in vivo multicellular environment's complexity. Research on the mechanisms of interaction between both cell types will reveal essential cues to understand cartilage regeneration. This review describes the latest discoveries on these interactions, along with advantages and main challenges in vitro and in vivo. The successful clinical translation of in vitro studies requires establishing rigorous standards and clinically relevant research models and an organ-targeting therapeutic strategy.
创伤后软骨损伤造成了一个令人费解的临床难题。众所周知，关节软骨的修复能力有限，损伤会增加骨关节炎的风险。基于细胞的疗法使软骨细胞和间充质基质细胞（MSCs）成为关节软骨的功能单位和祖细胞分别成为焦点。现有的临床治疗方法无法复制关节软骨的生物力学特性，因此需要不断探索替代方法。软骨细胞和 MSC 的共培养是一种很有吸引力的体外系统，可以更接近体内多细胞环境的复杂性。研究两种细胞类型之间的相互作用机制将揭示理解软骨再生的重要线索。本文综述了这些相互作用的最新发现，以及体外和体内的优势和主要挑战。体外研究的成功临床转化需要建立严格的标准和临床相关的研究模型以及针对器官的治疗策略。
