title: Improved quality of cartilage repair by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of an osteochondral defect in a cynomolgus macaque model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Integration of repaired cartilage with surrounding native cartilage is a major challenge for successful tissue-engineering strategies of cartilage repair. We investigated whether incorporation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the collagen scaffold improves integration and repair of cartilage defects in a cynomolgus macaque model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cynomolgus macaque bone marrow-derived MSCs were isolated and incorporated into type-I collagen gel. Full-thickness osteochondral defects (3 mm in diameter, 5 mm in depth) were created in the patellar groove of 36 knees of 18 macaques and were either left untreated (null group, n = 12), had collagen gel alone inserted (gel group, n = 12), or had collagen gel incorporating MSCs inserted (MSC group, n = 12). After 6, 12, and 24 weeks, the cartilage integration and tissue response were evaluated macroscopically and histologically (4 null, 4 gel, and 4 MSC knees at each time point).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The gel group showed most cartilage-rich reparative tissue covering the defect, owing to formation of excessive cartilage extruding though the insufficient subchondral bone. Despite the fact that a lower amount of new cartilage was produced, the MSC group had better-quality cartilage with regular surface, seamless integration with neighboring naïve cartilage, and reconstruction of trabecular subchondral bone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even with intensive investigation, MSC-based cell therapy has not yet been established in experimental cartilage repair. Our model using cynomolgus macaques had optimized conditions, and the method using MSCs is superior to other experimental settings, allowing the possibility that the procedure might be introduced to future clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishigaki
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueba
authors.forename: Kousuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsusue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries*; D024042:Collagen Type I; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D007719:Knee Joint; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I