Substrate Stiffness Modulates Hypertrophic Chondrocyte Reversion and Chondrogenic Phenotype Restoration.

ABSTRACT: The stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a pivotal role in the progression of osteoarthritis (OA), particularly by promoting hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes, which hinders cartilage regeneration and accelerates pathological ossification. This study aimed to investigate how substrate stiffness modulates hypertrophic chondrocyte behavior and whether it can reverse their phenotype towards a more stable, chondrogenic state. A series of tunable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates with stiffnesses ranging from 78 to 508 kPa were fabricated to simulate varying mechanical microenvironments. Hypertrophic chondrocytes were cultured on these substrates, and their morphology, nuclear architecture, gene/protein expression, and mechanotransductive signaling pathways were sys

SUBMITTER: Dong DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12385123 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature