Harnessing Cell–Biomaterial Interactions for Osteochondral Tissue Regeneration

Abstract

Articular cartilage that is damaged or diseased often requires surgical intervention to repair the tissue; therefore, tissue engineering strategies have been developed to aid in cartilage regeneration. Tissue engineering approaches often require the integration of cells, biomaterials, and growth factors to direct and support tissue formation. A variety of cell types have been isolated from adipose, bone marrow, muscle, and skin tissue to promote cartilage regeneration. The interaction of cells with each other and with their surrounding environment has been shown to play a key role in cartilage engineering. In tissue engineering approaches, biomaterials are commonly used to provide an initial framework for cell recruitment and proliferation and tissue formation. Modifications of the properties of biomaterials, such as creating sites for cell binding, altering their physicochemical characteristics, and regulating the delivery of growth factors, can have a significant influence on chondrogenesis. Overall, the goal is to completely restore healthy cartilage within an articular cartilage defect. This chapter aims to provide information about the importance of cell–biomaterial interactions for the chondrogenic differentiation of various cell populations that can eventually produce functional cartilage matrix that is indicative of healthy cartilage tissue.

Biofabrication of human articular cartilage: a path towards the development of a clinical treatment

“…While this compressive modulus is achieved during the chondrogenic process in vitro, with our approach it is possible to obtain a comparable stiffness right after the biofabrication process. The mechanical behaviour of the bioscaffolds is determined by the interplay between intrinsic degradation of the biomaterial components, cell mediated degradation and ECM deposition [75]. However, by performing atomic force microscopy indentation, we have demonstrated that in correspondence of accumulated ECM there is a marked increase in Young's modulus at 8 weeks of chondrogenesis, compared to undifferentiated samples.…”