TY - JOUR
T1 - Type II Collagen Sponges Facilitate Tendon Stem/Progenitor Cells to Adopt More Chondrogenic Phenotypes and Promote the Regeneration of Fibrocartilage-Like Tissues in a Rabbit Partial Patellectomy Model
AU - Wang, Wen
AU - Qin, Shengnan
AU - He, Peiliang
AU - Mao, Wei
AU - Chen, Liang
AU - Hua, Xing
AU - Zhang, Jinli
AU - Xiong, Xifeng
AU - Liu, Zhihe
AU - Wang, Pengzhen
AU - Meng, Qingqi
AU - Dong, Fei
AU - Li, Aiguo
AU - Chen, Honghui
AU - Xu, Jiake
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 30973067 and 81228013), Guangzhou Science and Technology Program Key Project (No. 201704020145), Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project (No. 202002030049), and Guangzhou General Guidance Project (No. 20181A010020).
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Wang, Qin, He, Mao, Chen, Hua, Zhang, Xiong, Liu, Wang, Meng, Dong, Li, Chen and Xu.
PY - 2021/7/16
Y1 - 2021/7/16
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Fibrocartilage transition zone (FC) is difficult to regenerate after surgical re-attachment of tendon to bone. Here, we investigated whether type II collagen-sponges (CII-sponges) facilitated tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) to adopt chondrogenic phenotypes and further observed if this material could increase the FC areas in bone-tendon junction (BTJ) injury model.METHODS: CII-sponges were made as we previously described. The appearance and pore structure of CII-sponges were photographed by camera and microscopies. The viability, proliferation, and differentiation of TSPCs were examined by LIVE/DEAD assay, alamarBlue, and PKH67 in vitro tracking. Subsequently, TSPCs were seeded in CII-sponges, Matrigel or monolayer, and induced under chondrogenic medium for 7 or 14 days before being harvested for qPCR or being transplanted into nude mice to examine the chondrogenesis of TSPCs. Lastly, partial patellectomy (PP) was applied to establish the BTJ injury model. CII-sponges were interposed between the patellar fragment and tendon, and histological examination was used to assess the FC regeneration at BTJ after surgery at 8 weeks.RESULTS: CII-sponges were like sponges with interconnected pores. TSPCs could adhere, proliferate, and differentiate in this CII-sponge up to 14 days at least. Both qPCR and immunostaining data showed that compared with TSPCs cultured in monolayer or Matrigel, cells in CII-sponges group adopted more chondrogenic phenotypes with an overall increase of chondrocyte-related genes and proteins. Furthermore, in PP injured model, much more new formed cartilage-like tissues could be observed in CII-sponges group, evidenced by a large amount of positive proteoglycan expression and typical oval or round chondrocytes in this area.CONCLUSION: Our study showed that CII-sponges facilitated the TSPCs to differentiate toward chondrocytes and increased the area of FCs, which suggests that CII-sponges are meaningful for the reconstruction of FC at bone tendon junction. However, the link between the two phenomena requires further research and validation.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Fibrocartilage transition zone (FC) is difficult to regenerate after surgical re-attachment of tendon to bone. Here, we investigated whether type II collagen-sponges (CII-sponges) facilitated tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) to adopt chondrogenic phenotypes and further observed if this material could increase the FC areas in bone-tendon junction (BTJ) injury model.METHODS: CII-sponges were made as we previously described. The appearance and pore structure of CII-sponges were photographed by camera and microscopies. The viability, proliferation, and differentiation of TSPCs were examined by LIVE/DEAD assay, alamarBlue, and PKH67 in vitro tracking. Subsequently, TSPCs were seeded in CII-sponges, Matrigel or monolayer, and induced under chondrogenic medium for 7 or 14 days before being harvested for qPCR or being transplanted into nude mice to examine the chondrogenesis of TSPCs. Lastly, partial patellectomy (PP) was applied to establish the BTJ injury model. CII-sponges were interposed between the patellar fragment and tendon, and histological examination was used to assess the FC regeneration at BTJ after surgery at 8 weeks.RESULTS: CII-sponges were like sponges with interconnected pores. TSPCs could adhere, proliferate, and differentiate in this CII-sponge up to 14 days at least. Both qPCR and immunostaining data showed that compared with TSPCs cultured in monolayer or Matrigel, cells in CII-sponges group adopted more chondrogenic phenotypes with an overall increase of chondrocyte-related genes and proteins. Furthermore, in PP injured model, much more new formed cartilage-like tissues could be observed in CII-sponges group, evidenced by a large amount of positive proteoglycan expression and typical oval or round chondrocytes in this area.CONCLUSION: Our study showed that CII-sponges facilitated the TSPCs to differentiate toward chondrocytes and increased the area of FCs, which suggests that CII-sponges are meaningful for the reconstruction of FC at bone tendon junction. However, the link between the two phenomena requires further research and validation.
KW - bone tendon junction
KW - chondrogenesis
KW - fibrocartilage transition zones
KW - tendon stem and progenitor cells
KW - type II collagen sponges
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111606472&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fcell.2021.682719
DO - 10.3389/fcell.2021.682719
M3 - Article
C2 - 34336835
AN - SCOPUS:85111606472
SN - 2296-634X
VL - 9
JO - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
JF - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
M1 - 682719
ER -