Poly(lactide-<i>co</i>-glycolide)/Fibrin
Gel Construct as a 3D Model to Evaluate Gene Therapy of Cartilage
in Vivo
- Publication date
- Publisher
Abstract
Combination of gene therapy with
tissue engineering can enhance
the interplay between cells and matrix, leading to better restoration
and regeneration of tissues and organs in vivo. In this study the
PLGA/fibrin gel hybrids were employed to load lipofectamine/pDNA-TGF-β1
complexes and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) (experimental group),
acting as a cartilage-mimetic tissue platform. The gene complexes
distributed more evenly in the hybrid scaffolds, whereas they adhered
onto the pore walls of the PLGA sponges. The filled fibrin gel rendered
gene release in a slower manner, too. Moreover, the fibrin gel entrapped
MSCs and contributed to a higher cell loading density in the hybrid
constructs. In vivo assay showed that in the defects implanted with
the experimental constructs both gene and protein expression levels
of TGF-β1 were significantly higher than those of the fibrin-free
group at weeks 1, 3, and 6 after surgery. The full articular cartilage
defects repaired by the experimental group for 12 w were resurfaced
by neo-tissues with a similar thickness, cell arrangement, and color
to the normal neighboring cartilage and abundant glycosaminoglycans