A New Era of Cartilage Repair using Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering: Turning Current Clinical Limitations into New Ideas

Abstract

Caused by trauma or common joint disorders, cartilage degeneration can lead to major disability. Cartilage has little capacity in terms of self-regeneration due to its avascular nature. Current treatment for cartilage degeneration relies mainly on surgery, which usually generates fibrous tissue rather than hyaline cartilage. A number of studies have overcome the current limitations of existing therapies and have succeeded in cartilage tissue repair. Clinical trials have shifted from implementing autologous chondrocytes or grafts toward using more complex materials such as engineered cells, scaffolds, and growth factors as strategies. In this review, we focus on recent advances in cartilage tissue engineering utilizing cells and scaffolds.