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Cell-based therapy for articular hyaline cartilage regeneration predominantly involves the use of mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes. However, the regenerated repair tissue is suboptimal due to the formation of mixed hyaline and fibrocartilage, resulting in inferior long-term functional outcomes. Current preclinical research points towards the potential use of cartilage-derived chondroprogenitors as a viable option for cartilage healing. Fibronectin adhesion assay-derived chondroprogenitors (FAA-CP) and migratory chondroprogenitors (MCP) exhibit features suitable for neocartilage formation but are isolated using distinct protocols. In order to assess superiority between the two cell groups, this study was the first attempt to compare human FAA-CPs with MCPs in normoxic and hypoxic culture conditions, investigating their growth characteristics, surface marker profile and trilineage potency. Their chondrogenic potential was assessed using mRNA expression for markers of chondrogenesis and hypertrophy, glycosaminoglycan content (GAG), and histological staining. MCPs displayed lower levels of hypertrophy markers (RUNX2 and COL1A1), with normoxia-MCP exhibiting significantly higher levels of chondrogenic markers (Aggrecan and COL2A1/COL1A1 ratio), thus showing superior potential towards cartilage repair. Upon chondrogenic induction, normoxia-MCPs also showed significantly higher levels of GAG/DNA with stronger staining. Focused research using MCPs is required as they can be suitable contenders for the generation of hyaline-like repair tissue.

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.

Hemophilic pseudotumor is a rare complication of hemophilia, occurring in 1 to 2 percent of individuals with severe factor VIII or factor IX deficiency. A 35-year-old male presented with aswelling in the right lower abdomen for 3 months. There was no history of trauma. Examination revealed a swelling over the right iliac fossa. Right hip showed 30° flexion deformity. Blood investigations like complete blood count, APTT, PT, bleeding and clotting time, and fibrinogen were all normal. Plain radiograph and MRI showed a lytic lesion in the right iliac wing. Excision biopsy of the swelling showed organized hematoma with a fibrous capsule suggestive of a pseudotumor. Further haematological workup like factors VIII and IX was normal. At 2 years follow-up, there was no recurrence. We report this case of pseudotumour in patient without any bleeding disorder. Such case has not been reported in literature to the best of our knowledge.

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.

Objective: Recent studies indicate that India is an endemic region for Burkholderia pseudomallei infection. We aimed to describe the clinical presentation of B. pseudomallei infection of the musculoskeletal system and summarise the various treatment modalities used in our clinical practice. Subjects and Methods: Patients with confirmed microbiological diagnosis of B. pseudomallei infection involving the musculoskeletal system treated from January 2007 to December 2016 with a minimum follow-up of 1 year were included. A retrospective review of medical records was carried out and patients’ demographic data, co-morbidities, clinical presentation, and details of medical and surgical treatment were documented. Results: Of 342 patients diagnosed with B. pseudomallei infection, 37 (9.2%) had musculoskeletal involvement; 26 patients (23 males) followed up for at least a year were included in the study. Four patients (15%) had multisystem involvement and 10 (37%) had multiple musculoskeletal foci of infection; 15 patients (58%) had osteomyelitis, 10 (38%) had septic arthritis with or without osteomyelitis, and 1 patient (4%) presented with only soft tissue abscess. All patients required surgical intervention in addition to medical management. Surgical treatment varied from soft tissue abscess drainage, arthrotomy for septic arthritis, decompression and curettage for osteomyelitis, and/or use of antibiotic (meropenem or ceftazidime)-loaded polymethylmethacrylate bone cement for local drug delivery. At final follow-up (average: 37 months, range: 12–120), all patients were disease free. Conclusion: We found the rate of musculoskeletal involvement in B. pseudomallei infection to be 9.2%. Appropriate surgical treatment in addition to medical management resulted in resolution of disease in all our patients.

In the realm of tissue engineering, it is extremely difficult to construct physiologically functional surgical implants that are also significantly resistant to bacterial infections. The current study investigates the influence of on the biomedical applications of tertiary silicate bioceramics (akermanite and merwinite). The sol–gel combustion process in conjunction with citric acid helped to speed up and lower the temperature of the bioceramics' synthesis. X-ray diffraction investigation validated the phase purity of akermanite and merwinite, while scanning electron microscopy demonstrated agglomerated surface morphology. Both the bioceramics were bactericidal at a very low concentration. Akermanite and merwinite revealed species-specific antibacterial activity. BMP2 protein expression of the cells seeded on merwinite on day 14 was noticeable but in the case of akermanite seeded cells, the expression was not detected. SEM, confocal images, and Alamar blue viability/proliferation assay of akermanite and merwinite revealed a good hBMSCs attachment and a significant proliferation. This demonstrates the biocompatibility of akermanite and merwinite.

Biocompatibility and bacterial infections are the primary concerns associated with the current bone graft substitutes. The application of wollastonite-based scaffolds for bone tissue engineering becomes a novel subject of interest. In the present study, a single phasic wollastonite scaffold was synthesised using citric acid-based sol–gel combustion route. Its physicochemical characteristics, antibacterial properties as well as its biocompatibility and osteogenic induction effect on human bone marrow derived stromal cells ( hBMSCs ) are yet to be explored. The TGA/DTA, XRD and SEM/EDX confirmed the characteristics of wollastonite. The antibacterial test indicated wollastonite inhibition of 47.81% and 45.54% for gram-positive, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and 47.04% and 46.07% for gram-negative, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial strains, respectively. The SEM micrographs demonstrated an excellent attachment of hBMSCs on wollastonite and comparable to commercial hydroxyapatite (cHA) scaffold. The alamar blue cell proliferation assay confirmed 1.7- and 1.8-fold significant increase in hBMSCs seeded on wollastonite and cHA scaffold, respectively, on day 14 as compared with day 1. The immunohistochemistry analysis on Type-I collagen (Col1) and Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) expression on day 14 confirmed the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs seeded on wollastonite and comparable with cHA scaffold. In conclusion, wollastonite scaffold has a greater potential to substitute bone grafts in orthopaedic applications.

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.