Recently, we reported on a new photocrosslinkable alginate-based hydrogel, which has controllable physical and cell adhesive properties. The macromer solution containing cells can be injected in a minimally invasive manner into a defect site and crosslinked while maintaining high cell viability. The number of hydrolyzable ester bonds in the formed crosslinks may be controlled by altering the degree of methacrylation on the alginate polymer backbone. However, the degradation rate of the hydrogels has been found to be slower in vivo than in vitro. The purpose of this study was to develop photocrosslinked alginate hydrogels with an increased range of biodegradation rates for more rapid in vivo biodegradation in regenerative medicine and bioactive factor delivery applications. Therefore, we oxidized alginate prior to methacrylation to change the uronate residue conformations to an open-chain adduct, which makes it more vulnerable to hydrolysis. Here, we demonstrate that the swelling behavior, degradation profiles, and storage moduli of photocrosslinked hydrogels formed from oxidized, methacrylated alginates (OMAs) are tunable by varying the degree of alginate oxidation. The OMA macromers and photocrosslinked OMA hydrogels exhibited cytocompatibility when cultured with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs). In addition, hMSCs derived from bone marrow or adipose tissue photoencapsulated within these hydrogels remained viable, and their proliferation rate was a function of alginate oxidation level and initial hydrogel weight fraction. Oxidation permits a wider range of photocrosslinked OMA hydrogels physical properties, which may enhance these therapeutic materials’ utility in tissue engineering and other biomedical applications.

Three-dimensional (3D) gradients of biochemical and physical signals in macroscale, degradable hydrogels have been engineered that can regulate photoencapsulated human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) behavior. This simple, cytocompatible and versatile gradient system may be a valuable tool for researchers in biomaterials science to control stem cell fate in 3D and guide tissue regeneration.

Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) is a matricellular protein that is up-regulated in many fibrotic disorders and coexpressed with transforming growth factor ␤. CCN2 promotes fibrogenesis and survival in activated hepatic stellate cells, and injured or fibrotic liver contains up-regulated levels of CCN2 that are produced by a variety of different cell types, including hepatocytes. To investigate CCN2 action in vivo, transgenic FVB mice were created in which the human CCN2 gene was placed under the control of the albumin enhancer promoter to elevate hepatocyte CCN2 levels. Production of human CCN2 (hCCN2) messenger RNA and elevated CCN2 protein levels was demonstrated in transgenic livers, whereas levels of endogenous mouse CCN2 were comparable between transgenic and wild-type mice. Liver histology and liver function tests were unaffected in transgenic animals. However, after chronic administration of

Endochondral ossification during long bone development and natural fracture healing initiates by mesenchymal cell condensation, directed by local morphogen signals and mechanical cues. Here, we aimed to mimic development for regeneration of large bone defects. We hypothesized that engineered human mesenchymal condensations presenting transforming growth factor–β1 (TGF-β1) and/or bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) from encapsulated microparticles promotes endochondral defect regeneration contingent on in vivo mechanical cues. Mesenchymal condensations induced bone formation dependent on morphogen presentation, with BMP-2 + TGF-β1 fully restoring mechanical function. Delayed in vivo ambulatory loading significantly enhanced the bone formation rate in the dual morphogen group. In vitro, BMP-2 or BMP-2 + TGF-β1 initiated robust endochondral lineage commitment. In vivo, however, extensive cartilage formation was evident predominantly in the BMP-2 + TGF-β1 group, enhanced by mechanical loading. Together, this study demonstrates a biomimetic template for recapitulating developmental morphogenic and mechanical cues in vivo for tissue engineering.

Despite great progress in biomaterial design strategies for replacing damaged articular cartilage, prevention of stem cell-derived chondrocyte hypertrophy and resulting inferior tissue formation is still a critical challenge. Here, by using engineered biomaterials and a high-throughput system for screening of combinatorial cues in cartilage microenvironments, we demonstrate that biomaterial cross-linking density that regulates matrix degradation and stiffness—together with defined presentation of growth factors, mechanical stimulation, and arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptides—can guide human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) differentiation into articular or hypertrophic cartilage phenotypes. Faster-degrading, soft matrices promoted articular cartilage tissue formation of hMSCs by inducing their proliferation and maturation, while slower-degrading, stiff matrices promoted cells to differentiate into hypertrophic chondrocytes through Yes-associated protein (YAP)–dependent mechanotransduction. in vitro and in vivo chondrogenesis studies also suggest that down-regulation of the Wingless and INT-1 (WNT) signaling pathway is required for better quality articular cartilage-like tissue production.