Cocktail of Hyaluronic Acid and Human Amniotic Mesenchymal Cells Effectively Repairs Cartilage Injuries in Sodium Iodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritis Rats

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common refractory degenerative articular cartilage diseases. Human amniotic mesenchymal cells (hAMSCs) have emerged as a promising stem cell source for cartilage repair, and hyaluronic acid (HA) has proven to be a versatile regulator for stem cell transplantation. Herein, an effective and straightforward intraarticular injection therapy using a cocktail of hAMSCs and HA was developed to treat knee OA in a rat model. The injured cartilage was remarkably regenerated, yielding results comparable to normal cartilage levels after 56 days of treatment. Both hAMSCs and HA were indispensable organic components in this therapy, in which HA could synergistically enhance the effects of hAMSCs on cartilage repair. The regenerative mechanism was attributed to the fact that the addition of HA comprehensively enhances the activities of hAMSCs, including chondrogenic differentiation, proliferation, colonization, and regenerative modulation. This cocktail paves a new avenue for injection therapy to treat OA, holding the potential to realize rapid clinical translation.

Ganoderic Acid D Protects Human Amniotic Mesenchymal Stem Cells against Oxidative Stress-Induced Senescence through the PERK/NRF2 Signaling Pathway

“…Similar to our previous studies [ 28 , 29 ], the surface molecules of MSCs were highly expressed in hAMSCs, including CD105 (88.10%), CD73 (99.84%), and CD90 (98.48%). However, the expression of cell surface molecules of hematopoietic stem cells (0.12%), including CD34, CD11b, CD19, CD45, and HLD-AR, was not observed.…”

Intra-Articular Platelet-Rich Plasma Combined With Hyaluronic Acid Injection for Knee Osteoarthritis Is Superior to Platelet-Rich Plasma or Hyaluronic Acid Alone in Inhibiting Inflammation and Improving Pain and Function

“…Moreover, studies have used HA as a scaffold material for cartilage repair and as a carrier for the adhesion of stem cells. 41 These experiments taken together suggest that the association of HA and PRP can influence and facilitate cell division, migration, and differentiation, which may explain the better clinical effect of PRP combined with HA. Marx 42 suggested that the platelet density of PRP should be approximately 4w5 times that of whole blood to provide a sufficient platelet reserve for the release of various active biological factors.…”

RASL11B gene enhances hyaluronic acid-mediated chondrogenic differentiation in human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells via the activation of Sox9/ERK/smad signals

“…32 Our previous study showed that HA alone or in combination with routine inducer exerted a positive effect on the chondroinductive differentiation of hAMSCs, and in the hAMSCs transplantation against rat knee osteoarthritis as well. 21 In the study, we found that HA facilitated the expression of chondrocyte-specific genes including Sox9 , Col2α1 , and Acan to some extent. In particular, the combination of HA and TGF-β3 showed a potent synergistic effect for the expression of Col2α1 and Acan on day 14 after chondrogenic induction (Figure 2(c)).…”

“…19,20 In our previous study, a cocktail of HA and hAMSCs transplantation showed a significant therapeutic effect against rat knee osteoarthritis. 21 Also, HA displayed a similar function of routine chondroindutive chemicals in hAMSCs and a synergistic effect on the chondrogenic differentiation of hAMSCs in combination with chondroinductive chemicals. 21 However, how does HA modulate the chondrogenic differentiation of hAMSCs, and its underlying molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated.…”