Multifunctional MeHA hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regeneration

Particulated juvenile articular cartilage (PJAC) has emerged as a promising living material for articular defect treatment. However, the fragile nature of PJAC hinders its wide clinical application. Here, inspired by the chemical composition and hierarchical structure of natural cartilage, we develo...

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Main Authors: Qunchao Chen, Lang Bai, Guoyang Wan, Yuefeng Hao, Xing Yang, Hongtao Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1545773/full
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author Qunchao Chen
Qunchao Chen
Lang Bai
Guoyang Wan
Yuefeng Hao
Xing Yang
Hongtao Zhang
author_facet Qunchao Chen
Qunchao Chen
Lang Bai
Guoyang Wan
Yuefeng Hao
Xing Yang
Hongtao Zhang
author_sort Qunchao Chen
collection DOAJ
description Particulated juvenile articular cartilage (PJAC) has emerged as a promising living material for articular defect treatment. However, the fragile nature of PJAC hinders its wide clinical application. Here, inspired by the chemical composition and hierarchical structure of natural cartilage, we developed a novel hydrogel carrier system for PJAC delivery. Our carrier system, MeHA@J@DM, utilized methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) to incorporate PJAC and coated it with a polymerized mixture of dopamine methacrylamide (DMA) and 2-methylacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), forming an adhesive lubricant, p(DMA-MPC). MeHA@J@DM exhibited excellent performance for PJAC protection with enhanced cell viability, bioactivity, and lubrication properties. We evaluated the effectiveness of MeHA@J@DM in cartilage cell migration, where juvenile cartilage showed greater efficiency and remodeling abilities. In vivo rabbit cartilage defect models demonstrated superior cartilage regeneration with the MeHA@J@DM hydrogel. Our findings suggest that MeHA@J@DM has translational potential for PJAC implantation to enhance cartilage regeneration and benefit patients with articular cartilage lesions.
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
spelling doaj-art-c07583a5009b4bb1a24b1edfa00ffe2b2025-08-20T03:05:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology2296-41852025-05-011310.3389/fbioe.2025.15457731545773Multifunctional MeHA hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regenerationQunchao Chen0Qunchao Chen1Lang Bai2Guoyang Wan3Yuefeng Hao4Xing Yang5Hongtao Zhang6Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Medical Centre of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, ChinaOrthopedics and Sports Medicine Center, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, ChinaOrthopedics and Sports Medicine Center, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, ChinaOrthopedics and Sports Medicine Center, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, ChinaOrthopedics and Sports Medicine Center, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, ChinaOrthopedics and Sports Medicine Center, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Medical Centre of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, ChinaParticulated juvenile articular cartilage (PJAC) has emerged as a promising living material for articular defect treatment. However, the fragile nature of PJAC hinders its wide clinical application. Here, inspired by the chemical composition and hierarchical structure of natural cartilage, we developed a novel hydrogel carrier system for PJAC delivery. Our carrier system, MeHA@J@DM, utilized methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) to incorporate PJAC and coated it with a polymerized mixture of dopamine methacrylamide (DMA) and 2-methylacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), forming an adhesive lubricant, p(DMA-MPC). MeHA@J@DM exhibited excellent performance for PJAC protection with enhanced cell viability, bioactivity, and lubrication properties. We evaluated the effectiveness of MeHA@J@DM in cartilage cell migration, where juvenile cartilage showed greater efficiency and remodeling abilities. In vivo rabbit cartilage defect models demonstrated superior cartilage regeneration with the MeHA@J@DM hydrogel. Our findings suggest that MeHA@J@DM has translational potential for PJAC implantation to enhance cartilage regeneration and benefit patients with articular cartilage lesions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1545773/fullparticulated juvenile articular cartilageliving materialslubricationcartilage repairMeHA
spellingShingle Qunchao Chen
Qunchao Chen
Lang Bai
Guoyang Wan
Yuefeng Hao
Xing Yang
Hongtao Zhang
Multifunctional MeHA hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regeneration
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
particulated juvenile articular cartilage
living materials
lubrication
cartilage repair
MeHA
title Multifunctional MeHA hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regeneration
title_full Multifunctional MeHA hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regeneration
title_fullStr Multifunctional MeHA hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regeneration
title_full_unstemmed Multifunctional MeHA hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regeneration
title_short Multifunctional MeHA hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regeneration
title_sort multifunctional meha hydrogel for living materials delivery with enhanced cartilage regeneration
topic particulated juvenile articular cartilage
living materials
lubrication
cartilage repair
MeHA
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1545773/full
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