title: Redifferentiation of dedifferentiated chondrocytes in a novel three-dimensional microcavitary hydrogel.
abstract: Although chondrocytes exist in native cartilage all over the body, it is still a challenge to use them as therapeutic cells for cartilage tissue engineering (TE) because of their easy dedifferentiation in in vitro culture. An improved culture system to maintain the characteristics of chondrocytes or recover their chondrocytic phenotype should be developed. In this study, we have set up an innovative microcavitary alginate hydrogel in an easy way. We compared this culture system with the conventional hydrogel and found that the microcavitary hydrogel exhibited outstanding superiorities in helping the dedifferentiated chondrocytes recover the capability for synthesizing cartilaginous extracellular matrix. In addition, we explored the correlation between chondrocyte redifferentiation in microcavitary hydrogels and changes in p38 and Erk1/2 activity. Our findings indicated that this microcavitary hydrogel would be a promising culture system to provide sufficient competent cells for cartilage regeneration and TE.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China; National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yuli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yongchang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D054337:Cell Dedifferentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D008863:Microspheres; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D034421:Sus scrofa; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D024043:Collagen Type II; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: chondrocyte; dedifferentiation; microcavitary hydrogel; redifferentiation; signal pathway