Construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulation

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of constructing cartilaginous organoids (CORGs) using cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers (CEMMs), evaluate their ectopic chondrogenic potential, and analyze their impact on in situ repair and regeneration of knee cartilage in SD rats. Methods: Cart...

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Main Authors: Hongyu Jiang, Wei Liu, Jiajie Chen, Yue Tian, Zhibo Jia, Yanbin Wu, Yanjun Guan, Leijia Chen, Wenjing Xu, Haoye Meng, Yingjie Xiong, Jianting Ye, Cheng Huang, Ruichao He, Sice Wang, Yufei Ding, Wei Fan, Yunkang Yang, Jiang Peng, Aiyuan Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Orthopaedic Translation
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214031X25000828
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author Hongyu Jiang
Wei Liu
Jiajie Chen
Yue Tian
Zhibo Jia
Yanbin Wu
Yanjun Guan
Leijia Chen
Wenjing Xu
Haoye Meng
Yingjie Xiong
Jianting Ye
Cheng Huang
Ruichao He
Sice Wang
Yufei Ding
Wei Fan
Yunkang Yang
Jiang Peng
Aiyuan Wang
author_facet Hongyu Jiang
Wei Liu
Jiajie Chen
Yue Tian
Zhibo Jia
Yanbin Wu
Yanjun Guan
Leijia Chen
Wenjing Xu
Haoye Meng
Yingjie Xiong
Jianting Ye
Cheng Huang
Ruichao He
Sice Wang
Yufei Ding
Wei Fan
Yunkang Yang
Jiang Peng
Aiyuan Wang
author_sort Hongyu Jiang
collection DOAJ
description Objective: To investigate the feasibility of constructing cartilaginous organoids (CORGs) using cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers (CEMMs), evaluate their ectopic chondrogenic potential, and analyze their impact on in situ repair and regeneration of knee cartilage in SD rats. Methods: Cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers (CEMMs) were created through a combination of decellularization, wet milling, and layered sieving methods. The evaluation of their biological function was conducted through live/dead staining, CCK-8 assay, scratch assay, and Transwell assay in a laboratory setting. The immune microenvironment was confirmed to be influenced by CEMMs through a conditioned culture involving rat macrophages. qRT-PCR and secretory function assays was conducted to evaluate the chondrogenic activity of CORGs. Gene expression profiles throughout the development of CORGs were analyzed using transcriptome sequencing. Immunodeficient mouse subcutaneous model to assess the ectopic chondrogenic capacity of CORGs. CORGs were implanted into the knee joint cartilage defects of SD rats to evaluate their effects on cartilage regeneration. Results: Successfully developed CEMMs with dimensions of 210.4 ± 56.89 um exhibited strong biocompatibility, the capacity to draw in stem cells, stimulate their growth and migration, and encourage macrophages to shift to the M2 type. Functionalized CORGs were successfully constructed based on CEMMs. Transcriptomics showed that CORGs had a gene expression pattern similar to mesodermal to chondrogenic development. CORGs successfully generated cartilaginous tissue subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice. Specifically, at 1 week postoperatively, CORGs were observed to promote M2 polarization of periarticular macrophages. At 6 and 12 weeks post-surgery, gross observation, micro-CT scanning, and histological analyses collectively revealed that CORGs promoted cartilage regeneration. Conclusions: The functionalized CORGs was successfully constructed based on CEMMs, exhibiting robust expression of chondrogenic-related genes and demonstrating the ability to secrete collagen and GAGs. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that CORGs exhibited a gene expression trajectory consistent with the transition from mesodermal to chondrogenic genes, resulting in the successful development of cartilaginous tissues rich in cartilage-specific matrix when implanted subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice. Furthermore, CORGs demonstrated the ability to modulate the immune microenvironment surrounding the knee joint. In SD rat models of knee cartilage defects, CORGs exhibited robust regenerative and repair capacity. The translational potential of this article: This research involved the creation of CORGs utilizing natural biomaterials (ECM) and MSCs, demonstrating significant promise for treating cartilage injuries, thereby paving the way for innovative strategies in cartilage tissue regeneration engineering.
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spelling doaj-art-e4ee893010db498b85f6deb85e3504fe2025-08-20T03:44:55ZengElsevierJournal of Orthopaedic Translation2214-031X2025-07-0153829810.1016/j.jot.2025.05.005Construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulationHongyu Jiang0Wei Liu1Jiajie Chen2Yue Tian3Zhibo Jia4Yanbin Wu5Yanjun Guan6Leijia Chen7Wenjing Xu8Haoye Meng9Yingjie Xiong10Jianting Ye11Cheng Huang12Ruichao He13Sice Wang14Yufei Ding15Wei Fan16Yunkang Yang17Jiang Peng18Aiyuan Wang19Institute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; Department of Orthopedic, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR ChinaThe Second Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; Graduate School of Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; Department of Orthopedic, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; Graduate School of Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR ChinaDepartment of Orthopedic, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, PR ChinaDepartment of Orthopedic, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, PR China; Corresponding author. Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.Institute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China; Corresponding author. Institute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR ChinaInstitute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China; Corresponding author. Institute of Orthopedics, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing Key Lab of Regenerative Medicine in Orthopedics, Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal Trauma & War Injuries PLA, No. 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, PR China.Objective: To investigate the feasibility of constructing cartilaginous organoids (CORGs) using cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers (CEMMs), evaluate their ectopic chondrogenic potential, and analyze their impact on in situ repair and regeneration of knee cartilage in SD rats. Methods: Cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers (CEMMs) were created through a combination of decellularization, wet milling, and layered sieving methods. The evaluation of their biological function was conducted through live/dead staining, CCK-8 assay, scratch assay, and Transwell assay in a laboratory setting. The immune microenvironment was confirmed to be influenced by CEMMs through a conditioned culture involving rat macrophages. qRT-PCR and secretory function assays was conducted to evaluate the chondrogenic activity of CORGs. Gene expression profiles throughout the development of CORGs were analyzed using transcriptome sequencing. Immunodeficient mouse subcutaneous model to assess the ectopic chondrogenic capacity of CORGs. CORGs were implanted into the knee joint cartilage defects of SD rats to evaluate their effects on cartilage regeneration. Results: Successfully developed CEMMs with dimensions of 210.4 ± 56.89 um exhibited strong biocompatibility, the capacity to draw in stem cells, stimulate their growth and migration, and encourage macrophages to shift to the M2 type. Functionalized CORGs were successfully constructed based on CEMMs. Transcriptomics showed that CORGs had a gene expression pattern similar to mesodermal to chondrogenic development. CORGs successfully generated cartilaginous tissue subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice. Specifically, at 1 week postoperatively, CORGs were observed to promote M2 polarization of periarticular macrophages. At 6 and 12 weeks post-surgery, gross observation, micro-CT scanning, and histological analyses collectively revealed that CORGs promoted cartilage regeneration. Conclusions: The functionalized CORGs was successfully constructed based on CEMMs, exhibiting robust expression of chondrogenic-related genes and demonstrating the ability to secrete collagen and GAGs. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that CORGs exhibited a gene expression trajectory consistent with the transition from mesodermal to chondrogenic genes, resulting in the successful development of cartilaginous tissues rich in cartilage-specific matrix when implanted subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice. Furthermore, CORGs demonstrated the ability to modulate the immune microenvironment surrounding the knee joint. In SD rat models of knee cartilage defects, CORGs exhibited robust regenerative and repair capacity. The translational potential of this article: This research involved the creation of CORGs utilizing natural biomaterials (ECM) and MSCs, demonstrating significant promise for treating cartilage injuries, thereby paving the way for innovative strategies in cartilage tissue regeneration engineering.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214031X25000828Cartilaginous organoidsCartilage extracellular matrix microcarriersCartilage regenerationImmune regulation.
spellingShingle Hongyu Jiang
Wei Liu
Jiajie Chen
Yue Tian
Zhibo Jia
Yanbin Wu
Yanjun Guan
Leijia Chen
Wenjing Xu
Haoye Meng
Yingjie Xiong
Jianting Ye
Cheng Huang
Ruichao He
Sice Wang
Yufei Ding
Wei Fan
Yunkang Yang
Jiang Peng
Aiyuan Wang
Construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulation
Journal of Orthopaedic Translation
Cartilaginous organoids
Cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers
Cartilage regeneration
Immune regulation.
title Construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulation
title_full Construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulation
title_fullStr Construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulation
title_full_unstemmed Construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulation
title_short Construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulation
title_sort construction of cartilaginous organoids based on cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers to promote articular cartilage regeneration through immune regulation
topic Cartilaginous organoids
Cartilage extracellular matrix microcarriers
Cartilage regeneration
Immune regulation.
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214031X25000828
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