Interaction Between Human Skeletal and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Under Physioxia Enhances Cartilage Organoid Formation: A Phenotypic, Molecular, and Functional Characterization.

ABSTRACT: Articular cartilage regeneration remains a major challenge due to its limited self-repair capacity. Bone marrow-derived skeletal stem cells (SSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for cartilage engineering, although they differ in their chondrogenic potential. This study explored whether co-culturing SSCs and MSCs in three-dimensional (3D) organoid systems under cartilage physioxia (5% O₂) and chondrogenic induction could improve cartilage tissue formation. SSCs, MSCs, and SSC-MSC co-cultures were characterized for morphology, phenotype, and differentiation capacity. Organoids were generated and cultured for 10 days, followed by analysis of morphology, viability, gene expression (SOX9, RUNX2, ACAN, COL2A1, COL10A1,

SUBMITTER: Azain CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12468709 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature