title: Engineered scaffold-free tendon tissue produced by tendon-derived stem cells.
abstract: Most of the exogenous biomaterials for tendon repair have limitations including lower capacity for inducing cell proliferation and differentiation, poorer biocompatibility and remodeling potentials. To avoid these shortcomings, we intend to construct an engineered tendon by stem cells and growth factors without exogenous scaffolds. In this study, we produced an engineered scaffold-free tendon tissue (ESFTT) in vitro and investigated its potentials for neo-tendon formation and promoting tendon healing in vivo. The ESFTT, produced via tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) by treatment of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and ascorbic acid in vitro, was characterized by histology, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry methods. After ESFTT implanted into the nude mouse, the in vivo fluorescence imaging, histology and immunohistochemistry examinations showed neo-tendon formation. In a rat patellar tendon window injury model, the histology, immunohistochemistry and biomechanical testing data indicated ESFTT could significantly promote tendon healing. In conclusion, this is a proof-of-concept study demonstrating that ESFTT could be a potentially new approach for tendon repair and regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Yun Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Rui
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liang Liang
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Kai Ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010329:Patella / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D013710:Tendons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins