Chondrogenic Potential of Cryopreserved Aortic Allografts: Guiding Perichondrial Regeneration in Tracheal Repair

Wan-Ting Hung^{1

2

3}, Kuan-Chuan Tsou^{3

4}, Huan-Chieh Cho⁵, Pei-Shan Wu⁶, Miao-Hsia Lin⁶, Sy-Chi Chen¹, Hsien-Chi Liao^{2

3

7}, Chao-Wen Lu¹, Chi-Fang Li⁸, Wei-Ching Su⁸, Chih-Hsuan Huang⁸, Wen-Ming Hsu^{1

2}, Yu-Ten Ju⁹, Ching-Fu Tu¹⁰, Sung-Jan Lin^{8

11

12}, Hsao-Hsun Hsu^{1

2

13}, Jin-Shing Chen^{1

2

13}, Tai-Horng Young⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd, Taipei, 100225, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
² Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 1, Jen Ai Rd., Taipei, 100233, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
³ Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Rm733, Bldg.Lab.Med., NTU Hospital, No.1, Chang-Te St., Taipei, 100229, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁴ Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei City Hospital Zhongxiao Branch, No.87, Tongde Rd., Nangang Dist., Taipei, 115006, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁵ NTU Consortium of Integrative Biomedical Science Key Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 106319, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁶ Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec., 1, Jen Ai Rd., Taipei, 100233, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁷ Department of Traumatology, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd, Taipei, 100225, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁸ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 1, Jen Ai Rd., Taipei, 100233, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁹ Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Taipei, 106326, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
¹⁰ Division of Animal Technology, Animal Technology Laboratories, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, No.1, Ln. 51, Dahu Rd., Xiangshan Dist., Hsinchu City, 300110, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
¹¹ Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No.1, Sec., 1, Jen Ai Rd., Taipei, 100233, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
¹² Research Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Taiwan University, Rm. 625, No. 49, Fanglan Rd., Da'an Dist., Taipei City, 106038, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
¹³ Department of Surgical Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, No.57, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Taipei, 106326, Taiwan (R.O.C.).

PMID: 40357702
DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202405106

Chondrogenic Potential of Cryopreserved Aortic Allografts: Guiding Perichondrial Regeneration in Tracheal Repair

Wan-Ting Hung et al. Adv Healthc Mater. 2025 Jun.

. 2025 Jun;14(15):e2405106.

doi: 10.1002/adhm.202405106. Epub 2025 May 13.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd, Taipei, 100225, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
² Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 1, Jen Ai Rd., Taipei, 100233, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
³ Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Rm733, Bldg.Lab.Med., NTU Hospital, No.1, Chang-Te St., Taipei, 100229, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁴ Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei City Hospital Zhongxiao Branch, No.87, Tongde Rd., Nangang Dist., Taipei, 115006, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁵ NTU Consortium of Integrative Biomedical Science Key Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 106319, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁶ Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec., 1, Jen Ai Rd., Taipei, 100233, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁷ Department of Traumatology, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Rd, Taipei, 100225, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁸ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 1, Jen Ai Rd., Taipei, 100233, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
⁹ Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Taipei, 106326, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
¹⁰ Division of Animal Technology, Animal Technology Laboratories, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, No.1, Ln. 51, Dahu Rd., Xiangshan Dist., Hsinchu City, 300110, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
¹¹ Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No.1, Sec., 1, Jen Ai Rd., Taipei, 100233, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
¹² Research Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Taiwan University, Rm. 625, No. 49, Fanglan Rd., Da'an Dist., Taipei City, 106038, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
¹³ Department of Surgical Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, No.57, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Taipei, 106326, Taiwan (R.O.C.).

PMID: 40357702
DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202405106

Abstract

Native tracheal cartilage exhibits limited regenerative capacity, making the search for suitable biomaterials for tracheal repair a persistent challenge. In this study, a non-decellularized cryopreserved aortic allograft (CAo) is investigated as a scaffold for tracheal cartilage regeneration. Originally used to reconstruct infected aortas, CAo retains key features of a large artery-abundant elastic fibers and smooth muscle cells-and demonstrates favorable in vitro biocompatibility with chondrocytes. A trachea-CAo patch construct maintains tensile properties comparable to native trachea and tolerates normal expiratory forces. In a rabbit patch-defect model, CAo elicits only a mild-to-moderate immune response that gradually subsides. Within one month of implantation, robust neocartilage formation is observed, along with angiogenesis and epithelial regeneration. Over the next 12 months, the original aortic scaffold progressively degrades, while newly formed cartilage-originating from recipient perichondrial chondroprogenitor cells-replaces it. Proteomic analyses show that CAo is enriched in cytoskeletal, adhesion, cell migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related proteins, with fibroblast growth factor 2 emerging as a critical mediator of chemotaxis and chondrogenic differentiation. These findings indicate that CAo serves as both a structural and biological scaffold, activating tracheal cartilage regeneration through synergistic biocompatibility, growth factor signaling, and ECM support.

Keywords: biological scaffolds; chondrogenesis; cryopreserved aortas; extracellular matrices; fibroblast growth factors; perichondria; tracheae.

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References

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Chondrogenic Potential of Cryopreserved Aortic Allografts: Guiding Perichondrial Regeneration in Tracheal Repair

Affiliations

Chondrogenic Potential of Cryopreserved Aortic Allografts: Guiding Perichondrial Regeneration in Tracheal Repair

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

References

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

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Full Text Sources