Clinical Potential of Cellular Material Sources in the Generation of iPSC-Based Products for the Regeneration of Articular Cartilage

Abstract

Inflammatory joint diseases, among which osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common, are characterized by progressive degeneration of the cartilage tissue, resulting in the threat of limited or lost joint functionality in the absence of treatment. Currently, treating these diseases is difficult, and a number of existing treatment and prevention measures are not entirely effective and are complicated by the patients’ conditions, the multifactorial nature of the pathology, and an incomplete understanding of the etiology. Cellular technologies based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can provide a vast cellular resource for the production of artificial cartilage tissue for replacement therapy and allow the possibility of a personalized approach. However, the question remains whether a number of etiological abnormalities associated with joint disease are transmitted from the source cell to iPSCs and their chondrocyte derivatives. Some data state that there is no difference between the iPSCs and their derivatives from healthy and sick donors; however, there are other data indicating a dissimilarity. Therefore, this topic requires a thorough study of the differentiation potential of iPSCs and the factors influencing it, the risk factors associated with joint diseases, and a comparative analysis of the characteristics of cells obtained from patients. Together with cultivation optimization methods, these measures can increase the efficiency of obtaining cell technology products and make their wide practical application possible.

Advancements in tissue engineering for articular cartilage regeneration

“…One significant advantage of iPSCs is their ability to be produced from different donor categories, including both diseased and healthy individuals, making them clinically applicable without the ethical concerns associated with ESCs [ 64 ]. iPSC differentiation protocols are important to obtain cell cultures that are as close as possible to natural chondrocytes [ 65 ]. In recent years, many protocols for chondrogenic differentiation have been developed.…”