Dense connective tissue injuries have limited repair, due to the paucity of cells at the wound site. We hypothesize that decreasing the density of the local extracellular matrix (ECM) in conjunction with releasing chemoattractive signals increases cellularity and tissue formation after injury. Using the knee meniscus as a model system, we query interstitial cell migration in the context of migratory barriers using a novel tissue Boyden chamber and show that a gradient of platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB) expedites migration through native tissue. To implement these signals in situ, we develop nanofibrous scaffolds with distinct fiber fractions that sequentially release active collagenase (to increase ECM porosity) and PDGF-AB (to attract endogenous cells) in a localized and coordinated manner. We show that, when placed into a meniscal defect, the controlled release of collagenase and PDGF-AB increases cellularity at the interface and within the scaffold, as well as integration with the surrounding tissue. Dense connective tissues do not easily heal, in part due to a low supply of reparative cells. Here, the authors develop a fibrous scaffold for meniscal repair that sequentially releases collagenase and a growth factor at the injury site, breaking down the extracellular matrix and recruiting endogenous cells.
Programmed biomolecule delivery to enable and direct cell migration for connective tissue repair
Feini Qu,J. Holloway,J. Esterhai,J. Burdick,R. Mauck
Published 2017 in Nature Communications
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2017
- Venue
Nature Communications
- Publication date
2017-11-24
- Fields of study
Medicine, Chemistry, Engineering
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
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