Decellularized Meniscus (mend) as a Biomaterial That Supports Stem Cell Invasion and Chondrogenesis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND Cartilage damage affects 25 million people globally each year. Tissue engineering strategies such as microfracture and matrix induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) are currently being used in the clinic; however, they are accompanied by their own limitations such as donor site morbidity, rapid clearance from the injury site, and extensive cost. To overcome these limitations, the tissue engineering field has shown increasing interest in the use of decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) biomaterials due to their heightened integration with native tissue and regeneration rates. METHODS The Gottardi Lab has developed a new dECM material sourced from porcine men iscus d ecellularization (MEND), in which elastin fibers are removed via enzymatic digestion, resulting in channels that can be easily recellularized. RESULTS In this work we demonstrate that MEND can be seeded with bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), achieving a uniform distribution of cell nuclei throughout the cross section of the scaffold. We also show that MEND retains its native structure in the presence of MSCs and can support chondrogenesis comparably to other commonly used tissue engineering materials such as methacrylated type I collagen and gelatin/hyaluronic acid hydrogels. CONCLUSION Overall, MEND is a promising new dECM biomaterial for cartilage regeneration.
Source: Orthopaedic Proceedings
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4414612821