Tetrahedral DNA Nanostructure: A Potential Promoter for Cartilage Tissue Regeneration via Regulating Chondrocyte Phenotype and Proliferation

Utilizing biomaterials to regulate the phenotype and proliferation of chondrocytes is a promising approach for effective cartilage tissue regeneration. Recently, a significant amount of effort has been invested into directing chondrocytes toward a desired location and function by utilizing biomaterials to control the dedifferentiation and phenotypic loss of chondrocytes during in vitro monolayer culture. Here, the transmission signals resulting from tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDNs) in the regulation of chondrocyte phenotype and proliferation are exploited. TDNs, new DNA nanomaterials, have been considered as promising materials in biomedical fields. Upon exposure to TDNs, chondrocyte phenotype is significantly enhanced, accompanied by lower gene expression related to Notch signaling pathway and higher expression of type II collagen. In addition, the cell proliferation and morphology of chondrocytes are changed after exposure to TDNs. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that TDNs are potentially useful mechanism in cartilage tissue regeneration from chondrocytes, whereby chondrocyte phenotype and proliferation can be retained.