High quality repair of osteochondral defects in rats using the extracellular matrix of antler stem cells

• Published in: World journal of stem cells Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 176 - 190
• Main Authors: Wang, Yu-Su, Chu, Wen-Hui, Zhai, Jing-Jie, Wang, Wen-Ying, He, Zhong-Mei, Zhao, Quan-Min, Li, Chun-Yi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Baishideng Publishing Group Inc 26.02.2024
• Subjects: Basic Study; Osteochondral defect repair; Antler stem cells; Xenogeneic; Decellularization; Extracellular matrix; Reserve mesenchymal cells; Mesenchymal stem cells
• ISSN: 1948-0210; 1948-0210
• DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i2.176

Cartilage defects are some of the most common causes of arthritis. Cartilage lesions caused by inflammation, trauma or degenerative disease normally result in osteochondral defects. Previous studies have shown that decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) derived from autologous, allogenic, or xenogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can effectively restore osteochondral integrity. To determine whether the decellularized ECM of antler reserve mesenchymal cells (RMCs), a xenogeneic material from antler stem cells, is superior to the currently available treatments for osteochondral defects. We isolated the RMCs from a 60-d-old sika deer antler and cultured them to 70% confluence; 50 mg/mL L-ascorbic acid was then added to the medium to stimulate ECM deposition. Decellularized sheets of adipocyte-derived MSCs (aMSCs) and antlerogenic periosteal cells (another type of antler stem cells) were used as the controls. Three weeks after ascorbic acid stimulation, the ECM sheets were harvested and applied to the osteochondral defects in rat knee joints. The defects were successfully repaired by applying the ECM-sheets. The highest quality of repair was achieved in the RMC-ECM group both (including cell attachment and proliferation), and (including the simultaneous regeneration of well-vascularized subchondral bone and avascular articular hyaline cartilage integrated with surrounding native tissues). Notably, the antler-stem-cell-derived ECM (xenogeneic) performed better than the aMSC-ECM (allogenic), while the ECM of the active antler stem cells was superior to that of the quiescent antler stem cells. Decellularized xenogeneic ECM derived from the antler stem cell, particularly the active form (RMC-ECM), can achieve high quality repair/reconstruction of osteochondral defects, suggesting that selection of decellularized ECM for such repair should be focused more on bioactivity rather than kinship.