Jablonski Christina L, Modrcin Dora, Cobb John, McCafferty Donna-Marie, Salo Paul T, Krawetz Roman J
Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
McCaig Institute for Bone & Joint Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
NPJ Regen Med. 2025 Aug 9;10(1):38. doi: 10.1038/s41536-025-00425-y.
It is widely acknowledged that articular cartilage lacks the ability to regenerate. However, if such regeneration were possible, which cell type would generate new tissue? The p21 mouse provides an excellent platform to explore this question, hence, we conducted lineage tracing on Paired related homeobox 1 (Prrx1/Prx1) cells post-injury to determine whether endogenous Prx1 cells contribute to regenerated tissues post-injury. p21 mice displayed enhanced endogenous cartilage regeneration, accompanied by notable differences in the number and kinetics of Prx1 cells within and around the injury site. In p21 mice, Prx1 cells underwent chondrogenesis, ultimately contributing to the regenerated articular cartilage layer. These findings underscore the impact of tissue-resident cells on cartilage regeneration, albeit under abnormal conditions. If the conditions within the joint could be manipulated to favor such a regenerative environment, these endogenous cell types might be recruited to facilitate the formation of a new articular cartilage surface post-injury.
人们普遍认为关节软骨缺乏再生能力。然而，如果这种再生是可能的，哪种细胞类型会产生新的组织呢？p21小鼠为探索这个问题提供了一个绝佳的平台，因此，我们在损伤后对成对相关同源盒1（Prrx1/Prx1）细胞进行了谱系追踪，以确定内源性Prx1细胞是否有助于损伤后再生组织的形成。p21小鼠表现出增强的内源性软骨再生，损伤部位及其周围的Prx1细胞数量和动力学存在显著差异。在p21小鼠中，Prx1细胞发生软骨形成，最终形成再生的关节软骨层。这些发现强调了组织驻留细胞对软骨再生的影响，尽管是在异常条件下。如果能够控制关节内的条件以促进这种再生环境，这些内源性细胞类型可能会被募集来促进损伤后新关节软骨表面的形成。
