Meniscus injuries, usually caused by tears or degenerative processes, impair normal knee function and lead to advanced osteoarthritis. Therefore, with the aim of restoring the normal meniscus function, replacement strategies based on tissue engineering strategies have gained prominence alongside other therapeutic endeavors. Regarding heterogeneity of natural meniscus tissue, ideal scaffold in meniscal engineering should mimic tissue with regard to both tissue architecture and biochemical composition. In this research, polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with different strand spaces were firstly designed and fabricated through 3D-printing process to provide a template and structural support for meniscus regeneration. According to results of physical and mechanical characterizations, 3D-printed scaffolds with strand space of 0.2 mm were modified with chitosan hydrogel containing decellularized meniscus to recapitulate the structure and composition of meniscus extracellular matrix (ECM). The electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy results demonstrated the successful biomimetic coating of chitosan/ECM hydrogel on scaffolds that subsequently promoted the metabolic activity of cultured human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs). qPCR analysis of ACAN, SOX9, COLL2, and COLL1A1 genes indicated the ability of the biomimetic coating to induce fibrocartilage phenotype in seeded cells. These results were exciting for application in tissue engineering as 3D-printed scaffolds provide a unique template for meeting structural challenges in meniscus replacement.

中文翻译：

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半月板启发的 3D 打印 PCL 支架的开发与壳聚糖/细胞外基质水凝胶工程

半月板损伤通常由撕裂或退行性过程引起，会损害膝关节的正常功能并导致晚期骨关节炎。因此，为了恢复正常的半月板功能，基于组织工程策略的替代策略与其他治疗方法一起获得了突出地位。关于天然半月板组织的异质性，半月板工程中的理想支架应该在组织结构和生化成分方面模拟组织。在这项研究中，首先通过 3D 打印工艺设计和制造具有不同链空间的聚己内酯 (PCL) 支架，为半月板再生提供模板和结构支持。根据物理力学表征结果，3D打印支架的链间距为0。2 mm 用含有脱细胞半月板的壳聚糖水凝胶修饰，以概括半月板细胞外基质 (ECM) 的结构和组成。电子显微镜和红外光谱结果表明，壳聚糖/ECM 水凝胶在支架上成功仿生涂层，随后促进了培养的人类脂肪干细胞 (hASC) 的代谢活性。qPCR 分析ACAN、SOX9、COLL2和COLL1A1基因表明仿生涂层在种子细胞中诱导纤维软骨表型的能力。这些结果在组织工程中的应用令人兴奋，因为 3D 打印的支架为应对半月板置换中的结构挑战提供了独特的模板。