Tissue engineering for osteoarthritis – does the disease phenotype matter ?

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) hold significant therapeutic potential for use in the treatment of nervous system disorders. Delivering these cells in hydrogel material carriers is a promising strategy to enhance cell survival post-transplantation, but the material properties that are required to maintain the proper function of NPCs within such hydrogels have yet to be elucidated. Using two different engineered hydrogel systems, we have identified matrix degradability as a critical material property for maintaining the stem cell phenotype of NPCs, as stemness is best maintained in high degradability gels. Furthermore, we have demonstrated a novel role for the protease ADAM9 in NPC-mediated matrix remodeling. We anticipate that biomaterials that exploit ADAM9-mediated remodeling may increase the regenerative potential of NPC therapies. Christopher Madl