Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Combination with Hyaluronic Acid for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Rabbits

• Main Authors: En-Rung Chiang, 蔣恩榮
• Other Authors: Shih-Chieh Hung
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/h3f4ar

博士 === 國立陽明大學 === 臨床醫學研究所 === 105 === Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies may aid in the repair of articular cartilage defects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanism of intraarticular injection of allogeneic MSCs in an in vivo anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) model of osteoarthritis in rabbits. Allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSCs were isolated and cultured under hypoxia (1% O2). After 8 weeks following ACLT, MSCs suspended in hyaluronic acid (HA) were injected into the knees, and the contralateral knees were injected with HA alone. Additional controls consisted of a sham operation group as well as an untreated osteoarthritis group. The tissues were analyzed by macroscopic examination as well as histologic and immunohistochemical methods at 6 and 12 weeks post-transplantation. Additionally, several osteoarthritic-related gene expression levels in the cartilage samples were analyzed by q-PCR to further clarify the potential regenerative mechanism of the hypoxic MSCs. At 6 and 12 weeks, the joint surface showed less cartilage loss and surface abrasion after MSC injection as compared to the tissues receiving HA injection alone. Significantly better histological scores and cartilage content were observed with the MSC transplantation. Engraftment of allogenic MSCs were also evident in surface cartilage. Furthermore, cell injection had demonstrated some favorable effects on the expression level of the osteoarthritic-related genes. Thus, injection of the allogeneic MSCs reduced the progression of osteoarthritis in vivo.