Spontaneous In Vivo Chondrogenesis of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells by Blocking Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Signaling
This article outlines the general paradigm of controlling the fate of implanted stem/progenitor cells by engineering their ability to establish specific microenvironmental conditions rather than directly providing individual morphogenic cues.
Significance
Chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) is typically targeted by morphogen delivery, which is often associated with limited efficiency, stability, and robustness. This article proposes a strategy to engineer MSCs with the capacity to establish specific microenvironmental conditions, supporting their own targeted differentiation program. Sole blockade of angiogenesis mediated by transduction for sFlk-1, without delivery of additional morphogens, is sufficient for inducing MSC chondrogenic differentiation. The findings represent a relevant step forward in the field because the method allowed reducing interdonor variability in MSC differentiation efficiency and, importantly, onset of a stable, nonhypertrophic chondrocyte phenotype.
Source: Stem Cells Translational Medicine - Category: Stem Cells Authors: Marsano, A., Medeiros da Cunha, C. M., Ghanaati, S., Gueven, S., Centola, M., Tsaryk, R., Barbeck, M., Stuedle, C., Barbero, A., Helmrich, U., Schaeren, S., Kirkpatrick, J. C., Banfi, A., Martin, I. Tags: Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Adult Stem Cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells Source Type: research