Meniscus repair: up-to-date advances in stem cell-based therapy

Abstract

The meniscus is a semilunar fibrocartilage between the tibia and femur that is essential for the structural and functional integrity of the keen joint. In addition to pain and knee joint dysfunction, meniscus injuries can also lead to degenerative changes of the knee joint such as osteoarthritis, which further affect patient productivity and quality of life. However, with intrinsic avascular property, the tearing meniscus tends to be nonunion and the augmentation of post-injury meniscus repair has long time been a challenge. Stem cell-based therapy with potent regenerative properties has recently attracted much attention in repairing meniscus injuries, among which mesenchymal stem cells were most explored for their easy availability, trilineage differentiation potential, and immunomodulatory properties. Here, we summarize the advances and achievements in stem cell-based therapy for meniscus repair in the last 5 years. We also highlight the obstacles before their successful clinical translation and propose some perspectives for stem cell-based therapy in meniscus repair.

Meniscal repair with additive manufacture of bioresorbable polymer: From physicochemical characterization to implantation of 3D printed poly (L-co-D, L lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) with autologous stem cells in rabbits

“…Its potential to regenerate adjacent tissue and therefore differentiate into chondrocytes and their ability to produce bioactive molecules such as growth factors and cytokines that modulate a cascade of intrinsic responses of repair mechanisms thus promoting wound healing. 37…”

“…Its potential to regenerate adjacent tissue and therefore differentiate into chondrocytes and their ability to produce bioactive molecules such as growth factors and cytokines that modulate a cascade of intrinsic responses of repair mechanisms thus promoting wound healing. 37 Both scaffolds demonstrated superiority over the empty defect group, indicating that the use of the polymeric scaffold as a meniscus implant favored the preservation of articular cartilage. In particular, the implantation of PLDLA-TMC with MSCs which showed the best outcome, resulted in repair quite equal to the untouched negative control.…”

Bioimpressão 3D aplicada à engenharia de tecidos

“…A eficácia dessa estratégia está intrinsecamente atrelada à capacidade de produzir scaffolds que reflitam tanto a matriz extracelular natural dos meniscos quanto a sua forma macroscópica singular. Diante deste desafio, a bioimpressão 3D emergiu como uma técnica com potencial significativo para a regeneração meniscal 42,43 .…”

Applications and prospects of different functional hydrogels in meniscus repair

“…Compared with autologous cells and xenogenic cells, stem cells may be a more promising cell source in the field of meniscus regeneration research ( Zhou et al, 2022 ). Multiple studies reported that stem cells are useful in replacing the injured meniscus and restoring its native function when combined with tissue engineering ( Jacob et al, 2021 ; Bian et al, 2022 ). Basing in vitro and in vivo experiments, Li et al proved that Apt/GF-scaffolds increased neomeniscal formation in rabbit critical-sized meniscectomies through mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-specific recruitment ( Li H. et al, 2022 ).…”