Regenerating cartilages by engineered ASCs: prolonged TGF-β3/BMP-6 expression improved articular cartilage formation and restored zonal structure.

ABSTRACT: Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) hold promise for cartilage regeneration but their chondrogenesis potential is inferior. Here, we used a baculovirus (BV) system that exploited FLPo/Frt-mediated transgene recombination and episomal minicircle formation to genetically engineer rabbit ASCs (rASCs). The BV system conferred prolonged and robust TGF-β3/BMP-6 expression in rASCs cultured in porous scaffolds, which critically augmented rASCs chondrogenesis and suppressed osteogenesis/hypertrophy, leading to the formation of cartilaginous constructs with improved maturity and mechanical properties in 2-week culture. Twelve weeks after implantation into full-thickness articular cartilage defects in rabbits, these engineered constructs regenerated neocartilages that resembled native hyaline cartilag

SUBMITTER: Lu CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3978803 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature