[Frontiers in Bioscience S4, 1275-1294, June 1, 2012]

Cell sources for cartilage repair: Contribution of the mesenchymal perivascular niche

Lucio Diaz-Flores Jr.1, Ricardo Gutierrez1, Juan Francisco Madrid2, Elisa Acosta3, Julio Avila3, Lucio Diaz-Flores1, Pablo Martin-Vasallo3

1Department of Pathology, Histology and Radiology, School of Medicine, La Laguna University, Canary Islands, Spain, 2Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Spain, 3Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Tissue based -repair. Cartilage and subchondral bone transplantation
4. Cell-based cartilage repair (cbcr). chondrocytes
5. CBCR. Adult mesenchymal stem cells
5.1. MSCs, ASCs and TACs
5.2. Differentiation and functional role of MSCs
5.3. Criteria for identification of MSCs
5.4. Location of MSCs (perivascular/pericytic niche for MSCs)
5.5. Use of MSCs in cartilage repair
5.5.1. MSC recruitment from neighbouring tissues (bone marrow stimulation. MSC-based "in situ" cartilage repair. MSC action after originating a granulation tissue next to the injured site)
5.5.2. Use of cultured and expanded MSCs
5.5.2.1. Tissue selected for obtaining MSCs
5.5.2.2. Culture of MSCs (growth/expansion and differentiation)
6. CBCR. Progenitor cells from perichondrium and periosteum
7. CBCR. Embryonic and prenatal stem cells
8. CBCR. Induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS cells)
9. CBCR. Genetically modified cells
10. Conclusion
11. Acknowledgments
12. References

1. ABSTRACT

Tissue and cell sources for cartilage repair are revised, including: 1) cartilage and subchondral bone (auto and allografts; single or multiple/mosaicplasty grafts), 2) cultured chondrocytes (autologous/ACI, characterized/CCI, matrix assisted/MAC, or allogenic), 3) adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), 4) progenitor cells from perichondrium and periosteum, 5) embryonic and prenatal stem cells, 6) induced pluripotent stem cells, and 7) genetically modified cells. We consider the biological mechanisms that explain usage and possible complications, advantages and limitations, emerging technologies and possible modulations on extracellular matrix properties and on migration, proliferation, de-differentiation, re-differentiation, morphology, function and integration of the cells. The study of MSC role involve: a) identification, b) location (perivascular niche hypothesis, pericytes as progenitor cells), c) lineage (myoadipofibrogenic system: transit amplifying cells, fibroblast/myofibroblasts, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, odontoblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells and adipocytes), and d) use in cartilage repair, comprising: 1) MSCs recruited from neighbouring tissues (bone marrow stimulation, MSCs based "in situ" cartilage repair, microfracture) and 2) MSCs cultured and expanded from bone marrow, adipose tissue, synovial membrane or granulation tissue.