title: Fetal and adult fibroblasts display intrinsic differences in tendon tissue engineering and regeneration.
abstract: Injured adult tendons do not exhibit optimal healing through a regenerative process, whereas fetal tendons can heal in a regenerative fashion without scar formation. Hence, we compared FFs (mouse fetal fibroblasts) and AFs (mouse adult fibroblasts) as seed cells for the fabrication of scaffold-free engineered tendons. Our results demonstrated that FFs had more potential for tendon tissue engineering, as shown by higher levels of tendon-related gene expression. In the in situ AT injury model, the FFs group also demonstrated much better structural and functional properties after healing, with higher levels of collagen deposition and better microstructure repair. Moreover, fetal fibroblasts could increase the recruitment of fibroblast-like cells and reduce the infiltration of inflammatory cells to the injury site during the regeneration process. Our results suggest that the underlying mechanisms of better regeneration with FFs should be elucidated and be used to enhance adult tendon healing. This may assist in the development of future strategies to treat tendon injuries.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 310058 [2] Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou China. 310058.
authors.forename: Qiao-Mei
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 310058 [2] Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou China. 310058.
authors.forename: Jia Lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, 2nd Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 310058.
authors.forename: Wei Liang
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 310058 [2] Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou China. 310058.
authors.forename: Zi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 310058 [2] Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou China. 310058.
authors.forename: Huan Huan
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 310058 [2] Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou China. 310058.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosystems Science & Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH-Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel 4058, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Boon Chin
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 310058 [2] Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou China. 310058.
authors.forename: Hong Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 310058 [2] Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou China. 310058.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation; D015870:Gene Expression; D051379:Mice; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D036122:Receptor, EphA4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D024061:Collagen Type III; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; C494005:Nfatc1 protein, mouse; D036122:Receptor, EphA4