Functionalized Hydrogels for Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Liangbin Zhou,
Peng Guo,
Matteo D'Este,
Wenxue Tong,
Jiankun Xu,
Hao Yao,
Martin J. Stoddart,
Gerjo J.V.M. van Osch,
Kevin Ki-Wai Ho,
Zhen Li,
Ling Qin
Affiliations
Liangbin Zhou
Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory of Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; Innovative Orthopaedic Biomaterials and Drug Translational Research Laboratory, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Peng Guo
AO Research Institute Davos, Davos, CH 7270, Switzerland; Innovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
Matteo D'Este
AO Research Institute Davos, Davos, CH 7270, Switzerland
Wenxue Tong
Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory of Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; Innovative Orthopaedic Biomaterials and Drug Translational Research Laboratory, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Jiankun Xu
Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory of Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; Innovative Orthopaedic Biomaterials and Drug Translational Research Laboratory, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Hao Yao
Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory of Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; Innovative Orthopaedic Biomaterials and Drug Translational Research Laboratory, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
Martin J. Stoddart
AO Research Institute Davos, Davos, CH 7270, Switzerland
Gerjo J.V.M. van Osch
Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine & Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam 3000 CA, the Netherlands; Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2600 AA, the Netherlands
Kevin Ki-Wai Ho
Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory of Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; Corresponding authors.
Zhen Li
AO Research Institute Davos, Davos, CH 7270, Switzerland; Corresponding authors.
Ling Qin
Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory of Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; Innovative Orthopaedic Biomaterials and Drug Translational Research Laboratory, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; Centre for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China; Corresponding authors.
Articular cartilage (AC) is an avascular and flexible connective tissue located on the bone surface in the diarthrodial joints. AC defects are common in the knees of young and physically active individuals. Because of the lack of suitable tissue-engineered artificial matrices, current therapies for AC defects, especially full-thickness AC defects and osteochondral interfaces, fail to replace or regenerate damaged cartilage adequately. With rapid research and development advancements in AC tissue engineering (ACTE), functionalized hydrogels have emerged as promising cartilage matrix substitutes because of their favorable biomechanical properties, water content, swelling ability, cytocompatibility, biodegradability, and lubricating behaviors. They can be rationally designed and conveniently tuned to simulate the extracellular matrix of cartilage. This article briefly introduces the composition, structure, and function of AC and its defects, followed by a comprehensive review of the exquisite (bio)design and (bio)fabrication of functionalized hydrogels for AC repair. Finally, we summarize the challenges encountered in functionalized hydrogel-based strategies for ACTE both in vivo and in vitro and the future directions for clinical translation.
