The Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Articular Cartilage Regeneration and Disease Modelling: Are We Ready for Their Clinical Use?

Abstract

The development of induced pluripotent stem cells has brought unlimited possibilities to the field of regenerative medicine. This could be ideal for treating osteoarthritis and other skeletal diseases, because the current procedures tend to be short-term solutions. The usage of induced pluripotent stem cells in the cell-based regeneration of cartilage damages could replace or improve on the current techniques. The patient's specific non-invasive collection of tissue for reprogramming purposes could also create a platform for drug screening and disease modelling for an overview of distinct skeletal abnormalities. In this review, we seek to summarise the latest achievements in the chondrogenic differentiation of pluripotent stem cells for regenerative purposes and disease modelling.

Keywords: chondrodysplasias; disease modelling; iPSC; osteoarthritis; regenerative medicine; stem cells.

Figure 1

A schematic summarisation of the distinct approaches of iPSC chondrogenic differentiation to repair articular cartilage damage based on the current protocols. To form iPSC’s allogeneic/autologous source, the first step requires the differentiation of iPSC cells into iMSC through the straightforward process or spontaneous iPSC changes into mesenchymal-like stromal cells using an embryoid body step and the additional supplementation of a growth factor to unify this process. The obtained iMSC cells also undergo chondrogenic differentiation using the most common approach through the formation of pellet culture, commonly known as the micromass technique, for some period when the cells mature and produce an appropriate amount of ECM. Other possibilities require the use of biocompatible scaffolds, which also support chondrogenic differentiation and create a ready-to-use patch for large defects in damaged cartilage or a suitable model for skeletal developmental diseases.