Effective repair of joint cartilage using human pluripotent stem cell-derived tissue

Adult articular cartilage lacks significant regenerative capacity, and damage to this tissue often leads to progressive joint degeneration (osteoarthritis). We developed strategies to generate articular cartilage from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) as a source of clinically relevant tissues for joint repair. Previously, we demonstrated that these chondrocytes retain cartilage forming potential following subcutaneous implantation in mice. In this report, we evaluated the potential of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived articular cartilage tissue to repair osteochondral defects created in the rat knee. Following implantation, the hESC-derived cartilage maintained a proteoglycan and type II collagen-rich matrix, and was well integrated with native rat tissue at the basal and lateral surfaces. The ability to generate cartilage tissue with integrative and reparative properties from an unlimited and robust cell source represents a significant clinical advance for cartilage repair that can be applied to large animal models and ultimately to patient care.