The Bioactivity of Cartilage Extracellular Matrix in Articular Cartilage Regeneration

• Published in: Advanced healthcare materials 2015-01, Vol.4 (1), p.29-39
• Main Authors: Sutherland, Amanda J., Converse, Gabriel L., Hopkins, Richard A., Detamore, Michael S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cartilage; cartilage matrix; cartilage tissue engineering; Cartilage, Articular - physiology; Cellular; chondroinductivity; decellularization; Devices; devitalization; Extracellular Matrix - chemistry; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Humans; In vitro testing; Methods; Nuclei; Pain management; Portraits as Topic; Regeneration; Regulations; Surgical implants
• ISSN: 2192-2640; 2192-2659
• DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201400165

Cartilage matrix is a promising material for cartilage regeneration given the evidence supporting its chondroinductive character. The “raw materials” of cartilage matrix can serve as building blocks and signals for tissue regeneration. These matrices can be created by chemical or physical processing: physical methods disrupt cellular membranes and nuclei but may not fully remove all cell components and DNA, whereas chemical methods combined with physical methods are effective in fully decellularizing such materials. It is important to delineate between the sources of the cartilage matrix, that is, derived from matrix in vitro or from native tissue, and then to further characterize the cartilage matrix based on the processing method, decellularization or devitalization. With these distinctions, four types of cartilage matrices exist: decellularized native cartilage (DCC), devitalized native cartilage (DVC), decellularized cell‐derived matrix (DCCM), and devitalized cell‐derived matrix (DVCM). One currently marketed cartilage matrix device is decellularized, although trends in patents suggest additional decellularized products may be available in the future. To identify the most relevant source and processing for cartilage matrix, testing needs to include targeting the desired application, optimizing delivery of the material, identify relevant FDA regulations, assess availability of materials, and immunogenic properties of the product. Cartilage matrix as a biomaterial is a particularly promising material for enhanced cartilage regeneration because of the material's ability to provide stem cells with physical attachment sites, mechanical signals, and chemical signals. Cartilage matrix can be derived from both in vitro and tissue sources. Processing methods also differ as the matrix can be either chemically decellularized or physically devitalized.