Open AccessIntra‐Articular Injection of Human Meniscus Stem/Progenitor Cells Promotes Meniscus Regeneration and Ameliorates Osteoarthritis Through Stromal Cell‐Derived Factor‐1/CXCR4‐Mediated Homing
Author(s) -
Shen Weiliang,
Chen Jialin,
Zhu Ting,
Chen Longkun,
Zhang Wei,
Fang Zhi,
Heng Boon Chin,
Yin Zi,
Chen Xiao,
Ji Junfeng,
Chen Weishan,
Ouyang Hong-Wei
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
stem cells translational medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.781
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 2157-6580
pISSN - 2157-6564
DOI - 10.5966/sctm.2012-0170
Subject(s) - osteoarthritis , progenitor cell , mesenchymal stem cell , stem cell , transplantation , regeneration (biology) , stromal cell , cartilage , meniscus , microbiology and biotechnology , homing (biology) , medicine , chemistry , pathology , anatomy , surgery , biology , ecology , physics , alternative medicine , incidence (geometry) , optics
Meniscus injury is frequently encountered in clinical practice. Current surgical therapy involving partial or complete meniscectomy relieves pain in the short‐term but often leads to osteoarthritis (OA) in the long‐term. In this study, we report a new strategy of articular cartilage protection by intra‐articular injection of novel human meniscus stem/progenitor cells (hMeSPCs). We found that hMeSPCs displayed both mesenchymal stem cell characteristics and high expression levels of collagen II. In the rat meniscus injury model, hMeSPC transplantation not only led to more neo‐tissue formation and better‐defined shape but also resulted in more rounded cells and matured extracellular matrix. Stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1) enhanced the migration of hMeSPCs, whereas AMD3100 abolished the chemotactic effects of SDF‐1 on hMeSPCs, both in vitro and in vivo. In an experimental OA model, transplantation of hMeSPCs effectively protected articular cartilage, as evidenced by reduced expression of OA markers such as collagen I, collagen X, and hypoxia‐inducible factor 2α but increased expression of collagen II. Our study demonstrated for the first time that intra‐articular injection of hMeSPCs enhanced meniscus regeneration through the SDF‐1/CXCR4 axis. Our study highlights a new strategy of intra‐articular injection of hMeSPCs for meniscus regeneration.