In-Vitro Evaluation of an Injectable Umbilical Cord-Derived Bioscaffold: A Translational Approach for Repair and Regeneration of Cartilage Injectable Umbilical Cord-Derived Bioscaffold
Regeneration, Reconstruction & Restoration (Triple R),
Vol. 10 (2025),
1 January 2025
https://doi.org/10.22037/rrr.v10.49573
Abstract
Background and objectives: Articular cartilage injuries remain difficult to treat due to the tissue’s limited regenerative capacity and the inconsistent outcomes of current surgical interventions. This study presents a novel injectable bio-scaffold derived from decellularized human umbilical cord extracellular matrix (ECM) enriched with umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) for cartilage repair.
Materials and Methods: Human umbilical cords were decellularized using enzymatic and detergent-based protocols. Decellularization efficacy was confirmed via histological staining, DAPI imaging, DNA quantification. The ECM was processed into an injectable formulation. UC-MSCs were isolated, expanded, and evaluated for scaffold adhesion, proliferation (under varying serum and EGF conditions), and chondrogenic differentiation using Alcian Blue staining at days 1, 6, and 15. Student’s t-test was used for statistical analysis (P-value < 0.05).
Results: Decellularization resulted in > 90% removal of nuclear content, evidenced by near-complete loss of DAPI-positive nuclei, reduction of DNA concentration from ~14–15 ng/µl in native tissue to ~1 ng/µl in decellularized samples, and markedly faint DNA bands on agarose gel. H&E staining confirmed preservation of ECM architecture with complete cellular clearance. UC-MSCs seeded on the ECM scaffold exhibited enhanced adhesion and significantly increased proliferation compared to cells cultured without scaffolds, reaching > 3 × 106 cells by 72 h. The combination of EGF (10 ng/mL) with 20% FBS yielded the highest proliferation and surface coverage. Chondrogenic differentiation assays demonstrated progressive extracellular matrix accumulation, with Alcian Blue staining showing a substantial increase in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) deposition by day 15, confirming successful scaffold-mediated chondrogenesis.
Conclusion: The decellularized human UC-derived injectable scaffold provides a biocompatible microenvironment that promotes UC-MSC proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation. This platform demonstrates strong translational potential for minimally invasive cartilage repair and future clinical application. Future in-vivo studies and clinical translation will establish an advanced regenerative strategy for cartilage repair and osteoarthritis management.
- Injectable scaffold, umbilical cord ECM, UC-MSCs, cartilage regeneration, chondrogenesis, tissue engineering, bioactive polymers.
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References
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