Engineering Hyaluronic Acid for the Development of New Treatment Strategies for Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that is characterized by inflammation of the joints, degradation of cartilage, and the remodeling of other joint tissues. Due to the absence of disease-modifying drugs for OA, current clinical treatment options are often only effective at slowing down disease progression and focus mainly on pain management. The field of tissue engineering has therefore been focusing on developing strategies that could be used not only to alleviate symptoms of OA but also to regenerate the damaged tissue. Hyaluronic acid (HA), an integral component of both the synovial fluid and articular cartilage, has gained widespread usage in developing hydrogels that deliver cells and biomolecules to the OA joint thanks to its biocompatibility and ability to support cell growth and the chondrogenic differentiation of encapsulated stem cells, providing binding sites for growth factors. Tissue-engineering strategies have further attempted to improve the role of HA as an OA therapeutic by developing diverse modified HA delivery platforms for enhanced joint retention and controlled drug release. This review summarizes recent advances in developing HA-based hydrogels for OA treatment and provides additional insights into how HA-based therapeutics could be further improved to maximize their potential as a viable treatment option for OA.

Boron Nitride’s Morphological Role in the Design of Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Based Hybrid Artificial Synovial Fluid

“…It was detected that the (002) peak of BNNSs presents a relative decrease in intensity concerning the hBNPs as well as an ∼1.05°shift to lower 2θ. The basic principle of Xray diffraction is in the Bragg equation (1) where n is a number (n = 1, 2, ...), λ is the X-ray wavelength, the Bragg angle (θ) is the angle between the incident rays and the diffracting planes, and d is the spacing of the diffracting planes. For a constant value of λ, the equation shows an inverse relationship between d and the Bragg angle.…”

“…Tissue engineering, however, focuses on regenerating damaged tissues and alleviating the symptoms of OA. 1 Hyaluronic acid (HA), a crucial component of synovial fluid and cartilage, is a viscous polysaccharide found in the ECM, especially in soft connective tissues. 1−3 Hyaluronan-based hydrogels are broadly applied for joint regeneration because they maintain the rheological homeostasis of synovial fluid in the joint and contribute to joint tissue lubrication, shock absorption, hydration, and nutrition.…”

“…To increase the quality of life of the individual, approaches to eliminate pain have been adopted. Tissue engineering, however, focuses on regenerating damaged tissues and alleviating the symptoms of OA …”

“…Hyaluronic acid (HA), a crucial component of synovial fluid and cartilage, is a viscous polysaccharide found in the ECM, especially in soft connective tissues. − Hyaluronan-based hydrogels are broadly applied for joint regeneration because they maintain the rheological homeostasis of synovial fluid in the joint and contribute to joint tissue lubrication, shock absorption, hydration, and nutrition . Hydrogel forms a stable coating around chondrocytes in the cartilage and binds to the aggrecan monomer, which is responsible for resilience and the viscoelastic properties of cartilage .…”

A Photopolymerizable Biocompatible Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Promotes Early Articular Cartilage Repair in a Minipig Model In Vivo

“…[ 2 ] Injectable photopolymerizable hydrogels are fascinating candidates for such regenerative approaches as they can be precisely applied to and retained in cartilage defects in situ by minimally invasive procedures. [ 3–5 ]…”