Cartilage tissue engineering by co-transplantation of chondrocyte extracellular vesicles and mesenchymal stem cells, entrapped in chitosan–hyaluronic acid hydrogel
Asieh Heirani‐Tabasi, Simzar Hosseinzadeh, Shahram Rabbani, Seyed Hossein Ahmadi Tafti, Khodamorad Jamshidi, Mina Soufizomorrod, Masoud Soleimani
Abstract
and induced expression of Col II protein. In addition, glycosaminoglycans secretion was detected in the EV-treated MSCs after about 14 days. The therapeutic efficiency of this hydrogel and EVs was studied in a rabbit osteochondral defect model. MRI results revealed that the cartilage regeneration capacity of EV-treated MSCs with CS-HA hydrogel was greater than the untreated MSCs or the EV-treated MSCs without hydrogel. Moreover, histological results showed hyaline-like cartilage in the CS-HA/MSC and CS-HA/EV/MSC groups in the cartilage defect sites. These findings suggested that the chondrocyte-EVs and CS-HA hydrogel could provide the preferable niche for chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs and cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis cartilage injuries.