Repair of Damaged Articular Cartilage: Current Approaches and Future Directions
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International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Repair of Damaged Articular Cartilage: Current Approaches and Future Directions Ekaterina V. Medvedeva 1,*, Ekaterina A. Grebenik 1, Svetlana N. Gornostaeva 1, Vladimir I. Telpuhov 1, Aleksey V. Lychagin 2, Peter S. Timashev 1,3,4 and Andrei S. Chagin 1,5,* 1 Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991, Russia; [email protected] (E.A.G.); [email protected] (S.N.G.); [email protected] (V.I.T.); [email protected] (P.S.T.) 2 Department of Trauma, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery, Sechenov University, 8-2 Trubetskaya St., Moscow 119991, Russia; [email protected] 3 Department of Polymers and Composites, N. N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, 4 Kosygin St., Moscow 119991, Russia 4 Institute of Photonic Technologies, Research Center “Crystallography and Photonics”, RAS, 2 Pionerskaya St., Troitsk, Moscow 142190, Russia 5 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum 6D, Stockholm 17177, Sweden * Correspondence: [email protected] (E.V.M.); [email protected] (A.S.C.) Received: 29 June 2018; Accepted: 7 August 2018; Published: 11 August 2018 Abstract: Articular hyaline cartilage is extensively hydrated, but it is neither innervated nor vascularized, and its low cell density allows only extremely limited self-renewal. Most clinical and research efforts currently focus on the restoration of cartilage damaged in connection with osteoarthritis or trauma. Here, we discuss current clinical approaches for repairing cartilage, as well as research approaches which are currently developing, and those under translation into clinical practice. We also describe potential future directions in this area, including tissue engineering based on scaffolding and/or stem cells as well as a combination of gene and cell therapy. Particular focus is placed on cell-based approaches and the potential of recently characterized chondro-progenitors; progress with induced pluripotent stem cells is also discussed. In this context, we also consider the ability of different types of stem cell to restore hyaline cartilage and the importance of mimicking the environment in vivo during cell expansion and differentiation into mature chondrocytes. Keywords: articular hyaline cartilage; regenerative medicine approaches; stem cells; tissue-engineered constructs; cell-based therapy; micro-fracture; mosaicplasty; autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI); matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) 1. Introduction Hyaline articular cartilage tissue is extensively hydrated, but it is neither innervated nor vascularized, and its very low cell density allows, unlike bone, only extremely limited self-renewal. Thus, in vivo restoration and/or in vitro reconstruction of hyaline cartilage is the goal of numerous tissue-engineering approaches; however, success remains limited to date. The apparent structural simplicity of hyaline cartilage is deceptive. Despite lacking innervation and blood vessels, this tissue consists of several layers, differing slightly in organization (e.g., cell density, composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and orientation of collagen fibers [1]), and thereby, in local elastic modulus [2]. Moreover, although the cartilage contains only a single type of cell referred to as chondrocytes, the cells in different layers have distinct morphologies and functionalities [3]. This tissue is usually divided into four zones: (i) the superficial zone in contact with Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19, 2366; doi:10.3390/ijms19082366 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms Int.Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19, 2366x 22 of 2322 functionalities [3]. This tissue is usually divided into four zones: (i) the superficial zone in contact thewith synovial the synovial fluid, containingfluid, containing chondro-progenitors chondro‑progenitors [4,5]; (ii) [4,5]; the middle(ii) the ormiddle transitional or transitional zone beneath zone thebeneath superficial the superficial zone, containing zone, containing round chondrocytes; round chondrocytes; (iii) the deep (iii) or the radial deep zone; or radial and (iv) zone; the calcifiedand (iv) layerthe calcified in direct layer contact in direct with thecontact underlying with the subchondral underlying subchondral bone (Figure 1bone). (Figure 1). Figure 1. Structure of human articular cartilage. Articular cartilage from a 57‑year‑old man is stained Figure 1. Structure of human articular cartilage. Articular cartilage from a 57-year-old man is stained with Safranin O/Fast Green (images were made by E. V. Medvedeva). with Safranin O/Fast Green (images were made by E. V. Medvedeva). Degenerative lesions of articular cartilage as a consequence of destructive joint disease, such as osteoarthritisDegenerative (OA) lesions, can oflead articular to disability, cartilage pain as a consequenceduring movement of destructive of the joint joint disease,, and gradual such as osteoarthritisdeformation of (OA), the canbone lead articulati to disability,on. 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