Probing the role of joint specific environmental cues in guiding stem cell fate

Abstract

Due to their relative ease of isolation, ability to proliferate extensively in vitro and to differentiate along multiple lineage pathways, mesenchymal stem cells / multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) are a promising cell type for tissue regeneration strategies. However, unlocking the potential of these cells requires an understanding of how the local cellular environment influences cell metabolism, phenotype and matrix synthesis and will be crucial to engineering functional cartilage tissue grafts of a clinically relevant scale. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the influence of joint-specific environmental factors on chondrogenesis of MSCs encapsulated within 3D hydrogels and subsequent tissue formation within these constructs.