Cartilage-Derived Progenitor Cell-Laden Injectable Hydrogel—An Approach for Cartilage Tissue Regeneration
Xiaolin Li, A Sigen, Qian Xu, Fatma Alshehri, Ming Zeng, Dezhong Zhou, Jun Li, Guangqian Zhou, Wenxin Wang
Abstract
Cartilage-derived progenitor cells (CPCs) with the capability of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation have been identified as a suitable cell source for cartilage tissue regeneration. Despite decades of development in cell-delivery techniques, improved approaches are still required to maintain cell viability, provide a supportive environment, and implement appropriate cues to guide cartilage regeneration. This research work develops an injectable in situ gelation system as a cell carrier for CPCs to overcome cell-delivery drawbacks. The hydrogel was fabricated through a thiol–ene Michael addition reaction by cross-linking thiol-functionalized hyaluronic acid and hyperbranched poly(ethylene glycol) multi-acrylate macromer. The sol–gel transition, mechanical properties, microstructure, and degradation profile of the hydrogels were evaluated to ensure physical support, cell migration, and nutrient exchange within the system. Encapsulated CPCs maintained a high level of cell viability and proliferation property. Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed that the extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion was enhanced under chondrogenic conditions. Moreover, the downregulated inflammation gene expression indicated the anti-inflammation ability of encapsulated CPCs. The study demonstrates that this rapid in situ forming hydrogel has excellent potential as a CPC delivery carrier by accelerating ECM production and retaining the phenotype and function of encapsulated CPCs.