Cartilage Regeneration of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in the TGF-β1-Immobilized PLGA-Gelatin Scaffold

Articular cartilage has restricted self-regenerative capacity; therefore, treatment of cartilage lesions is a great challenge in the field of orthopedics. In the present study, we evaluate the enhancing effect of a transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1)-immobilized scaffold, fabricated by incorporating TGF-beta 1-loaded gelatin microspheres into PLGA framework, on the differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) into chondrocytes. Significant increase in cell proliferation was observed in the TGF-beta 1-immobilized PLGA-gelatin scaffold, as compared with the ASC-seeded non-TGF-beta 1-immobilized PLGA-gelatin scaffold. When chondrogenic differentiation of ASCs was evaluated for both constructs, sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content was significantly higher in the TGF-beta 1-immobilized scaffold. This study showed that ASCs containing the TGF-beta 1-immobilized scaffold better promoted cartilage regeneration in defective articular cartilage, which is assessed by histological observation. Based on the above results, we conclude that TGF-beta 1-immobilized PLGA-gelatin scaffold seeded with ASCs considerably enhances the quality of the tissue-engineered cartilage, therefore, advancing the field of cartilage tissue engineering.