Open AccessOsteochondral explants for diarthrodial joint diseases: bridging the gap between bench and bedside
Author(s) -
Kaihua Li,
Y Zhu,
P H Zhang,
M Alini,
Sylwia Grad,
Z Li
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
european cells and materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1473-2262
DOI - 10.22203/ecm.v044a05
Subject(s) - bench to bedside , articular cartilage , joint disease , osteoarthritis , medicine , cartilage , human disease , disease , bridging (networking) , pathology , bioinformatics , computer science , biology , anatomy , medical physics , alternative medicine , computer network
Diarthrodial joint diseases, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide, mainly include osteoarthritis and cartilage injuries. No consensus on joint disease models has been achieved so far owing to the complex aetiologies, pathophysiological mechanisms and heterogeneity of disorders. The disease models established using isolated chondrocytes or small animals have the weaknesses of lacking native extracellular matrix and inter-species differences in anatomical and biomechanical cartilage properties. Osteochondral explants (OCEs) from large-animal or human joints present characteristics of native articular cartilage, showing promising potential for application in research on joint diseases. The present review focuses on OCEs and highlights the OCE sources, harvesting techniques, culture systems, applications and future developments. The OCE-centred ex vivo system has the potential to develop into preclinical models mimicking human joint diseases to help elucidate disease mechanisms, prompt therapeutic strategies and facilitate the clinical translation of findings in basic research.