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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorder and a leading cause of disability globally. Although many efforts have been made to treat this condition, current tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative medicine strategies fail to address the inflammatory tissue environment that leads to the rapid progression of the disease and prevents cartilage tissue formation. First, this review addresses in detail the current antiinflammatory therapies for OA with a special emphasis on pharmacological approaches, gene therapy, and mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) intra-articular administration, and discusses the reasons behind the limited clinical success of these approaches at enabling cartilage regeneration. Then, we analyze the state-of-the-art TE strategies and how they can be improved by incorporating immunomodulatory capabilities such as the optimization of biomaterial composition, porosity and geometry, and the loading of anti-inflammatory molecules within an engineered structure. Finally, the review discusses the future directions for the new generation of TE strategies for OA treatment, specifically focusing on the spatiotemporal modulation of anti-inflammatory agent presentation to allow for tailored patient-specific therapies.
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Advancements in Cartilage Tissue Engineering: A Focused Review
ABSTRACT Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disorder that is characterized by the degeneration of articular cartilage in synovial joints. Most of the current treatment options for this disorder tend to focus on symptom management rather than addressing the underlying progression of the disease. Cartilage tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach to address the limitations of current OA treatments, aiming to regenerate cartilage and restore the natural function of affected joints. Like any other tissue engineering field, cartilage tissue engineering uses different fabrication techniques and biomaterials to develop the constructs. Numerous studies over the last few years have demonstrated the preclinical efficacy of tissue‐engineered constructs in promoting cartilage regeneration and highlight the potential of tissue‐engineered constructs as a viable therapeutic approach for OA. This paper aims to provide a focused review of advancements in tissue‐engineered constructs over the past decade. Specifically, we highlight the constructs based on natural, synthetic, and composite biomaterials and the varying conventional and advanced fabrication techniques. We also highlight the challenges instate‐of‐the‐artcartilage tissue engineering that must be overcome in the upcoming years to fully replicate the complex anatomy of the native cartilage. We believe that continued collaborative research efforts among researchers from various facets of engineering and clinicians are required to advance the field of cartilage tissue engineering and become a viable OA therapy.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2152135
- PAR ID:
- 10565361
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials
- Volume:
- 113
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1552-4973
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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