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Obtaining regeneration-competent cells and generating high-quality neocartilage are still challenges in articular cartilage tissue engineering. Although chondroprogenitor cells are a resident subpopulation of native cartilage and possess a high capacity for proliferation and cartilage formation, their potential for regenerative medicine has not been adequately explored. Fetal cartilage, another potential source with greater cellularity and a higher cell-matrix ratio than adult tissue, has been evaluated for sourcing cells to treat articular disorders. This study aimed to compare cartilage resident cells, namely chondrocytes, fibronectin adhesion assay-derived chondroprogenitors (FAA-CPCs) and migratory chondroprogenitors (MCPs) isolated from fetal and adult cartilage, to evaluate differences in their biological properties and their potential for cartilage repair. Following informed consent, three human fetal and three adult osteoarthritic knee joints were used to harvest the cartilage samples, from which the three cell types a) chondrocytes, b) FAA-CPCs, and MCPs were isolated. Assessment parameters consisted of flow cytometry analysis for percentage expression of cell surface markers, population doubling time and cell cycle analyses, qRT-PCR for markers of chondrogenesis and hypertrophy, trilineage differentiation potential and biochemical analysis of differentiated chondrogenic pellets for total GAG/DNA content. Compared to their adult counterparts, fetal cartilage-derived cells displayed significantly lower CD106 and higher levels of CD146 expression, indicative of their superior chondrogenic capacity. Moreover, all fetal groups demonstrated significantly higher levels of GAG/DNA ratio with enhanced uptake of collagen type 2 and GAG stains on histology. It was also noted that fetal FAA CPCs had a greater proliferative ability with significantly higher levels of the primary transcription factor SOX-9. Fetal chondrocytes and chondroprogenitors displayed a superior propensity for chondrogenesis when compared to their adult counterparts. To understand their therapeutic potential and provide an important solution to long-standing challenges in cartilage tissue engineering, focused research into its regenerative properties using in-vivo models is warranted.

Purpose Cartilage repair necessitates adjunct therapies such as cell-based approaches, which commonly use MSCs and chondrocytes but is limited by the formation of fibro-hyaline cartilage. Articular cartilage-derived chondroprogenitors(CPs) offer promise in overcoming this, as they exhibit higher chondrogenic and lower hypertrophic phenotypes. The study aimed to compare the efficacy of various cell types derived from adult and foetal cartilage suspended in platelet-rich plasma(PRP) in repairing chondral defects in an Ex-vivo Osteochondral Unit(OCU) model. Methods In-vitro characterization of the cells included growth kinetics, FACS, qRT-PCR, and multilineage differentiation potential using histology and GAG analysis. Ex-vivo human OCUs with chondral defects containing the different cells in PRP were cultured and subjected to analysis for matrix and collagen staining. Results The ex-vivo OCU analysis, in terms of defect repair, showed that adult chondrocytes, sorted-CPs, and foetal MCPs displayed better host integration and filling. The In-vitro analysis of adult chondrocytes displayed greater chondrogenic genes ACAN and COL2A1 expression, with sorted-CPs also showing higher levels of ACAN. In terms of accumulation of extracellular matrix uptake evident by Safranin O staining and collagen type II fibrillar uptake, the AD-MSCs, BM-MSCs, and sorted CPs outperformed the other groups. BM-MSCs also showed corroborative higher CD146 levels, however, the gene analysis of the AD-MSCs showed a high hypertrophic tendency in terms of its COL1A1 and RUNX2 expression. Conclusion Sorted chondroprogenitors outperformed both in terms of filling and hyaline-like repair, with AD-MSC and BM-MSC groups also achieving functional cartilage of a hyaline nature, warranting further evaluation using in-vivo and clinical studies.

Obtaining regeneration-competent cells and generating high-quality neocartilage are still challenges in articular cartilage tissue engineering. Although chondroprogenitor cells are a resident subpopulation of native cartilage and possess a high capacity for proliferation and cartilage formation, their potential for regenerative medicine has not been adequately explored. Fetal cartilage, another potential source with greater cellularity and a higher cell-matrix ratio than adult tissue, has been evaluated for sourcing cells to treat articular disorders. This study aimed to compare cartilage resident cells, namely chondrocytes, fibronectin adhesion assay-derived chondroprogenitors (FAA-CPCs) and migratory chondroprogenitors (MCPs) isolated from fetal and adult cartilage, to evaluate differences in their biological properties and their potential for cartilage repair. Following informed consent, three human fetal and three adult osteoarthritic knee joints were used to harvest the cartilage samples, from which the three cell types a) chondrocytes, b) FAA-CPCs, and MCPs were isolated. Assessment parameters consisted of flow cytometry analysis for percentage expression of cell surface markers, population doubling time and cell cycle analyses, qRT-PCR for markers of chondrogenesis and hypertrophy, trilineage differentiation potential and biochemical analysis of differentiated chondrogenic pellets for total GAG/DNA content. Compared to their adult counterparts, fetal cartilage-derived cells displayed significantly lower CD106 and higher levels of CD146 expression, indicative of their superior chondrogenic capacity. Moreover, all fetal groups demonstrated significantly higher levels of GAG/DNA ratio with enhanced uptake of collagen type 2 and GAG stains on histology. It was also noted that fetal FAA CPCs had a greater proliferative ability with significantly higher levels of the primary transcription factor SOX-9. Fetal chondrocytes and chondroprogenitors displayed a superior propensity for chondrogenesis when compared to their adult counterparts. To understand their therapeutic potential and provide an important solution to long-standing challenges in cartilage tissue engineering, focused research into its regenerative properties using in-vivo models is warranted.