Naslov
Nasal chondrocyte–based engineered grafts for the repair of articular cartilage “kissing” lesions: a pilot large-animal study

Autori
Šećerović, Amra ; Pušić, Maja ; Kostešić, Petar ; Vučković, Mirta ; Vukojević, Rudolf ; Škokić, Siniša ; Sasi, Biljana ; Vukasović Barišić, Andreja ; Hudetz, Damir ; Vnuk, Dražen ; Matičić, Dražen ; Urlić, Inga ; Mumme, Marcus ; Martin, Ivan ; Ivković, Alan

Izvornik
American journal of sports medicine (0363-5465) 49 (2021), 8; 2187-2198

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
articular cartilage ; kissing lesions ; nasal chondrocytes ; tissue engineering

Sažetak
Background: Bipolar or ‘‘kissing’’ cartilage lesions formed on 2 opposite articular surfaces of the knee joint are commonly listed as exclusion criteria for advanced cartilage therapies. Purpose: To test, in a pilot large-animal study, whether autologous nasal chondrocyte (NC)–based tissue engineering, recently introduced for the treatment of focal cartilage injuries, could provide a solution for challenging kissing lesions. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Osteochondral kissing lesions were freshly introduced into the knee joints of 26 sheep and covered with NC-based grafts with a low or high hyaline-like extracellular matrix ; a control group was treated with a cell-free scaffold collagen membrane (SCA). The cartilage repair site was assessed at 6 weeks and 6 months after implantation by histology, immunohistochemistry, and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation. Results: NC-based grafts, independently of their composition, induced partial hyaline cartilage repair with stable integrity in surrounding healthy tissue at 6 months after treatment. The SCA repaired cartilage to a similar degree to that of NC-based grafts. Conclusion: Kissing lesion repair, as evidenced in this sheep study, demonstrated the feasibility of the treatment of complex cartilage injuries with advanced biological methods. However, the potential advantages of an NC-based approach over a cell-free approach warrant further investigations in a more relevant preclinical model. Clinical Relevance: NC-based grafts currently undergoing phase II clinical trials have a high potential to replace existing cartilage therapies that show significant limitations in the quality and reproducibility of the repair method. We have brought this innovative concept to the next level by addressing a new clinical indication.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti, Veterinarska medicina, Biotehnologija u biomedicini (prirodno područje, biomedicina i zdravstvo, biotehničko područje)

Napomena
Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

POVEZANOST RADA