Cartilage construction in nude mice with microencapsulated stem cells derived from human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly

Yang Jian-hua; Liu Shu-yun; Zhao Peng; Lu Shi-bi; Zhang Li; Huang Jing-xiang; Zhao Bin; Xu Wen-jing; Guo Quan-yi

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2014.08.006

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Cartilage extracelular matrix with a large number of signaling molecule proteins and factors is likely to be an ideal material for tissue engineering cartilage. <br> OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possibility of calcium alginate and cartilage extracelular matrix combined with microencapsulated stem cels derived from human umbilical cord Wharton’s jely to construct ectopic tissue-engineered cartilage in nude mice. <br> METHODS: Microfilament suspension of the cartilage extracelular matrix was prepared. Human stem cels derived from Wharton’s jely of the umbilical cord were inoculated in to calcium alginate and cartilage extracelular matrix gel microspheres as experimental group. Stem cels derived from human umbilical cord Wharton’s jely were incubated in simple alginate gel microspheres as control group. After in vitro culture, the microspheres wereimplanted into the dorsal subcutaneous tissue of nude mice. Samples were taken after 4 weeks, respectively, for gross and histological observation. <br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The stem cels exhibited paralel-chondrocyte morphology in microspheres, which grew and proliferated quite wel during in vitro culture. A new paralel-cartilaginous tissue was found in the subcutaneous tissue 4 weeks after surgery in the experimental group, and the tissue was positive for hematoxylin-eosin, safranine O, toluidine blue and colagen II. A large number of paralel-chondrocytes and cartilage lacuna-like structures were observed under a microscope with no obvious inflammatory reaction around the microspheres. The control group showed the partial degradation of microspheres, surrounded by only a smal number of inflammatory cels and lymphocytes. Calcium alginate and cartilage extracelular matrix microspheres have a rather good histocompatibility which can be used to construct paralel-cartilaginous tissues by implanting stem cel-microspheric compound into the subcutaneous tissue of nude mice.