Cartilage regeneration is important in the treatment of degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis and in managing joint injuries, making the search for optimal cell sources for those therapeutic applications of high importance. In this master's thesis, we investigated the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from two different sources: bone marrow (BM) and the synovial membrane (S) for chondrogenic differentiation. We also compared the impact of cell cultivation by using BM-derived MSCs that were cultured in a quantum bioreactor or using standard cultivation methods. We formulated four hypotheses:
1. BM-derived MSCs cultured in the bioreactor have a higher capacity for chondrogenesis in the micromass assay compared to the same cells cultured using standard approach. The absorbances of the BM-derived MSCs cultured in the bioreactor were 0.452 and 0.445, while the absorbances of those cultured using standard approach were 1.315, 0.445 and 0.516. Our results suggest that culturing of MSCs in a bioreactor does not improve their chondrogenic potential compared to the cells cultured in a standard way.
2. BM-derived MSCs have a higher Bern score than S-derived MSCs. The Bern scores of BM-derived MSCs were 5, 4, 5, 5 and 4, while the Bern score of S-derived MSCs was 5. In our case, BM-derived MSCs achieved a lower Bern score than S-derived MSCs.
3. BM-derived MSCs form larger chondrogenic pellets than S-derived MSCs. BM-derived MSCs formed chondrogenic pellets measuring 822.311 μm, 1060.192 μm, 893.317 μm, 802.279 μm and 475.987 μm. S-derived MSCs formed a pellet measuring 842.116 μm. Our results suggest that BM-derived MSCs form larger pellets than S-derived MSCs.
4. BM-derived MSCs show higher type II collagen expression than S-derived MSCs. BM-derived MSCs show better expression of type II collagen compared to S-derived MSCs. Our results did not show differences in the presence of type II collagen between samples, but due to positive control samples, we cannot claim the reliability of our results.
Here, we have demonstrated the chondrogenic potential of the tested cells, i.e. BM-derived MSCs. To evaluate the differences between BM and S-derived MSCs, more samples should be included and statistical analysis performed. Despite remaining unanswered questions, this research is a significant step toward understanding MSC use in cartilage regeneration, with further studies required to fully realize their clinical potential and improve patient outcomes.
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