Abstract Objective: To study the effect of an 830-nm gallium-aluminum-arsenic (GaAlAs) diode laser at two different energy densities (5 and 15 J/cm(2)) on the epiphyseal cartilage of rats by evaluating bone length and the number of chondrocytes and thickness of each zone of the epiphyseal cartilage. Background Data: Few studies have been conducted on the effects of low-level laser therapy on th...

BACKGROUND A double-network (DN) gel, which is composed of poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) and poly(N,N'-dimethyl acrylamide), can induce hyaline cartilage regeneration in vivo in a large osteochondral defect. The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence of the thickness of the implanted DN gel on the induction ability of hyaline cartilage regeneration. METHODS Thirt...

Advances in the studies with adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have turned tissue regenerative therapy into a promising tool in many areas of medicine. In orthopedics, one of the main challenges has been the regeneration of cartilage tissue, mainly in diarthroses. In the induction of the MSCs, in addition to cytodifferentiation, the microenvironmental context of the tissue to be regenerated a...

Therapeutic strategies based on utilizing endogenous BMSCs have been developed for the regeneration of bone, cartilage, and ligaments. We previously found that E7 peptide (EPLQLKM) could enhance BMSC homing in bio-scaffolds and, therefore, promote cartilage regeneration. However, profile mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we examined effect phenotype, including adhesion, viability chondr...

Cartilage is one of the chief structural tissues in the human body. Being resilient and smooth, it covers and protects the ends of long bones providing points of articulation at the joints and is a principal constituent of the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes, the intervertebral discs, and many other body components [1]. It is not as hard and rigid as bone, but it is stiffer and...

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of joint pathology in the older population. Given the limited intrinsic self-repair capacity of cartilage, a great deal of activity is ongoing to establish conditions under which cartilage regeneration might be achieved. In addition, the potential for use of engineered cartilage as a therapeutic implant is also under active investigation. Finally, the ability...

The view of articular cartilage as a non-regeneration organ has been challenged in recent years. The articular cartilage consists of distinct zones with different cellular and molecular phenotypes, and the superficial zone has been hypothesized to harbour stem cells. Furthermore, the articular cartilage demonstrates a distinct pattern regarding stem cell markers (that is, Notch-1, Stro-1, and v...

The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) rendered the reprogramming of terminally differentiated cells to primary stem cells with pluripotency possible and provided potential for the regeneration and restoration of cartilage defect. Chondrogenic differentiation of iPSCs is crucial for their application in cartilage tissue engineering. In this study we investigated the effect of 3...

BACKGROUND We have recently found a phenomenon that spontaneous regeneration of a hyaline cartilage-like tissue can be induced in a large osteochondral defect by implanting a double-network (DN) hydrogel plug, which was composed of poly-(2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) and poly-(N, N'-Dimetyl acrylamide), at the bottom of the defect. The purpose of this study was to clarify gene expr...