Injectable Composite Hydrogel Based On BMSCs-derived Extracellular Matrix And Agarose For Restoring The Structure And Function Of Articular Cartilage

Restoring the structure and function of articular cartilage following an injury is a crucial problem in orthopedic therapy.Recently,many researchers have focused on fabricating biomaterial scaffolds for repairing cartilage defect.However,they have limited clinical applications because of their toxic biological metabolites,and the potential risks of inflammatory reactions and pathogen transmission.To avoid these potential risks,autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)were previously used for fabricating extracellular matrix(ECM)scaffolds which can effectively promote cell adhesion,proliferation,and chondrogenesis.However,most cartilage defects we face in the clinic showed an irregular surface.Thus,the applications for this ECM scaffold may be limited by its pre-molding properties.The present study attempts to develop an injectable composite hydrogel based on autologous BMSCs-derived ECM and agarose,which can demonstrate good cell adhesion ability and plasticity,repair cartilage defect with arbitrary shapes,and improve integration between composite hydrogel and host tissues(bone and cartilage).Moreover,the active contents of ECM offer potential as a source of trophic support for the homing,proliferation and differentiation of cells from the defect area,so as to further restore the structure and function of cartilage.Finally,we could provide experimental foundation and theoretical basis for the clinical application using an injectable composite hydrogel based on autologous BMSCs-derived ECM and agarose.