Gene expression analysis.

<p>The mRNA expression of PBMCs in both normoxic and hypoxic culture (24h). BMP2 (p = 0.0007), BMP6 (p = 0.0004), GDF5 (p = 0.002) and COL1 (p = 0.046) normalized to B2M housekeeping gene. Level of statistical significance; * p<0.05, ** p<0.001 and *** p<0.0001 with biological n = 4 and technical n = 3.</p

Quantification of the repair tissue.

<p>(A) The ICRS score assessing the integration of the cell-scaffold construct into the medial femoral condyles. (B) Mechanical stiffness and (C) histological evaluation based on the modified O'Driscoll scoring system. (D) Summary of the healing with repair tissue in the defect when 100% is the total defect area. (E) Summary of the neocartilage formation in the articular cartilage surface when 100% is the total defect area. There was no significant difference between the test groups for these measurements.</p

Analysis of the defect repair.

<p>(A) Representative images of an average sample of each treatment group showing the macroscopic surface repair in femoral condyles. (B) Osteochondral healing of each treatment group stained with Safranin O/Fast Green. The scale bar represents the radius of the initial defect (6.0 mm). Some of the findings include: neocartilage formation on the surface of the defect (red/black vertical arrow) and remnants of the biomaterial (black horizontal arrow). (C) Safranin O/Fast Green stained high magnification (20x) images of the articular cartilage healing in the surface and in the subchondral bone where remnants of the biomaterial can be found. (D) Collagen type II staining and (E) Collagen type I staining at the repair site and within the remnants of the collagen biomaterial.</p

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell characterization.

<p>(A) Fluorescent labelling of fresh PBMC in suspension and adherent PBMC in both normoxia and hypoxia comparing hematopoietic and mesenchymal cell surface markers (n = 4). Representative images of PBMCs after 12 days growing in (B) normoxia and (C) hypoxia (scale bar 50 μm).</p