Research Progress in Hydrogels for Cartilage Organoids

Abstract

The repair and regeneration of cartilage has always been a hot topic in medical research. Cartilage organoids (CORGs) are special cartilage tissue created using tissue engineering techniques outside the body. These engineered organoids tissues provide models that simulate the complex biological functions of cartilage, opening new possibilities for cartilage regenerative medicine and treatment strategies. However, it is crucial to establish suitable matrix scaffolds for the cultivation of CORGs. In recent years, utilizing hydrogel to culture stem cells and induce their differentiation into chondrocytes has emerged as a promising method for the in vitro construction of CORGs. In this review, the methods for establishing CORGs are summarized and an overview of the advantages and limitations of using matrigel in the cultivation of such organoids is provided. Furthermore, the importance of cartilage tissue ECM and alternative hydrogel substitutes for Matrigel, such as alginate, peptides, silk fibroin, and DNA derivatives is discussed, and the pros and cons of using these hydrogels for the cultivation of CORGs are outlined. Finally, the challenges and future directions in hydrogel research for CORGs are discussed. It is hoped that this article provides valuable references for the design and development of hydrogels for CORGs.

Keywords: biomaterials; cartilage; extracellular matrix; hydrogel; organoid.