TGF-β3 mediated chondrogenic differentiation of synovial mesenchymal stem cells in gene transferred co-culture systems

Abstract

Articular degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis significantly affect the life quality of worldwide populations including Singaporean communities. Traditional approaches, typically transplantation of autologous tissue grafts, exhibit many limitations in clinic because of implants resorption and poor shaping with articular defects, as well as lack of sufficient materials donors. In the recent decade, novel strategies with tissue engineering and gene therapy have been developed from laboratory-based investigation to clinical applications. With the development of gene delivery to chondrocytic/progenitor therapeutic cells such as mesenchymal stem cells, treating disorders of articular cartilage by tissue engineering has borne much promise.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proven to be efficacious in articular cartilage repair and have even been used in a few in vivo clinical trials. Recently the focus has extended to synovium-derived MSCs (SMSCs) owing to their excellent chondrogenic potential. These cells are highly proliferative and can be expanded to sufficiently large numbers. Research has been carried out to induce chondrogenesis and engineer cartilaginous constructs from SMSCs using gene therapy and tissue engineering, with some degree of success. This study focuses on SMSCs and transgenic chondrocytes based co-culture system for engineered chondrogenesis.