Activin A/BMP2 chimera AB235 drives efficient redifferentiation of long term cultured autologous chondrocytes.

ABSTRACT: Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) depends on the quality and quantity of implanted cells and is hindered by the fact that chondrocytes cultured for long periods of time undergo dedifferentiation. Here we have developed a reproducible and efficient chondrogenic protocol to redifferentiate chondrocytes isolated from osteoarthritis (OA) patients. We used morphological, histological and immunological analysis together with a RT-PCR detection of collagen I and collagen II gene expression to show that chondrocytes isolated from articular cartilage biopsies of patients and subjected to long-term culture undergo dedifferentiation and that these cells can be redifferentiated following treatment with the chimeric Activin A/BMP2 ligand AB235. Examination of AB235-treated cell pellets in both

SUBMITTER: Jimenez G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4643338 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature