Evaluation of tissue integration of injectable, cell‐laden hydrogels of cocultures of mesenchymal stem cells and articular chondrocytes with an ex vivo cartilage explant model

Abstract

This study investigated the chondrogenic activity of encapsulated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and articular chondrocytes (ACs) and its impact on the mechanical properties of injectable poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based dual-network hydrogels loaded with poly(L-lysine) (PLL). To this effect, an ex vivo study model was employed to assess the behavior of the injected hydrogels-specifically, their surface stiffness and integration strength with the surrounding cartilage. The highest chondrogenic activity was observed from AC-encapsulated hydrogels, while the effect of PLL on MSC chondrogenesis was not apparent from biochemical analyses. Mechanical testing showed that there were no significant differences in either surface stiffness or integration strength among the different study groups. Altogether, the results suggest that the ex vivo model can allow further understanding of the relationship between biochemical changes within the hydrogel and their impact on the hydrogel's mechanical properties.

Novel strategy for multi-material 3D bioprinting of human stem cell based corneal stroma with heterogenous design

“…Integration of the artificial cornea to the host tissue is crucial to prevent graft failure. The advantages of ex vivo tissue models have been demonstrated in several different tissues, such as cornea [ 59 ], skin [ 60 ], cartilage [ 61 ] and bone [ 62 ]. Available ex vivo models are economical and ethical approaches to study the interaction between the host tissue and the transplanted material.…”

Advanced injectable hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering

“…For example, one material attracts cells and encourages migration into the injectable hydrogel, while the other effectively binds to surrounding tissue ( Vega et al, 2017 ). Kim et al (2021) . (investigated poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) and PLL-based dual network injectable hydrogels encapsulating articular chondrocytes and MSCs.…”