During endochondral ossification in the vertebrate limb, multipotent mesenchymal cells first differentiate into chondroblasts (chondrogenesis) that further differentiate (via chondrocyte hypertrophy) to a terminal cellular phenotype. Dlx5 and Dlx6 are functionally redundant regulators of chondrocyte hypertrophy. We now show that Dlx5 and Dlx6 also regulate the earlier step of chondrogenesis in ...

Hypoxia, a common environmental condition, influences cell signals and functions. Here, we compared the effects of hypoxia (1% oxygen) and normoxia (air) on chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). For in vitro chondrogenic differentiation, MSCs were concentrated to form pellets and subjected to conditions appropriate for chondrogenic differentiation under normoxia a...

The regeneration of damaged cartilage due to injuries and diseases is a major goal for the future. Cartilage has limited healing capacity. There have been a number of studies shown to induce cartilage regeneration both in vitro and in vivo. Yet we are far from obtaining regenerated cartilage that has the properties similar to the native cartilage. Chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)...

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) induce a cartilage-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) gene, aggrecan, in a chondrogenic cell line, ATDC5. The results of our recent study show that TGF-β1, but not BMP-4, strongly induces an ECM gene, fibronectin, during chondrogenesis. However, the role of fibronectin in chondrogenesis is unclear. In the current study, ou...

Introduction: Chondrogenesis occurring in soft callus is one of the major histological processes in the healing of fractures, though the molecular and cellular events, which regulate this process, have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, using a standardized rat closed fracture model, we examined the spatial and temporal gene expression for cartilage-related proteins and extensivel...

This study is a continuing investigation of the effect of the brachypod mouse mutation on cell interactions and chondrogenesis during early limb development. In this report, cell adhesiveness was assessed in fused fragments of brachypod and normal limb-bud mesenchyme. Examination of the interface of fused distal postaxial limb fragments show brachypod limb mesenchyme to be more adhesive than no...

Cartilage has limited repair and regeneration capacity, thus damage of cartilage often results in its dysfunction and even chronic diseases like osteoarthritis (OA). Chondrogenesis induced by tissue-engineering methods is essential to treating cartilage-related diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding single-stranded RNAs which exert their biological effects by binding to th...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the metabolomic changes in 3D-cultured human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in alginate beads, so as to identify biomarkers during chondrogenesis using (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS hMSCs (2×10(6) cells/mL) were seeded into alginate beads, and chondrogenesis was allowed to progress for 15 days. NMR s...

Chondrogenesis; chondromodulin-1 (chm1); Angiogenesis inhibitor; Cartilage; Notochord; Zebra®sh; type II collagen (col2a1); Craniofacial; Otic vesicle; Pectoral ®n; Pharyngeal arch; Maternal transcript; Trabecula; Ethmoid plate; Genetic locus 105 157 chondromodulin-1 (chm1); Angiogenesis inhibitor; Cartilage; Notochord; Zebra®sh; type II collagen (col2a1); Craniofacial; Chondrogenesis; Otic ves...

Aggrecanases from the ADAMTS (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase with ThromboSpondin motifs) family are important therapeutic targets due to their essential role in aggrecan depletion in arthritic diseases. Whether their function is also important for matrix rearrangements during chondrogenesis and thus, cartilage regeneration, is however so far unknown. The aim of this study was to analyse th...