Transforming Growth Factor Beta 3-Loaded Decellularized Equine Tendon Matrix for Orthopedic Tissue Engineering.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGFβ3) promotes tenogenic differentiation and may enhance tendon regeneration in vivo. This study aimed to apply TGFβ3 absorbed in decellularized equine superficial digital flexor tendon scaffolds, and to investigate the bioactivity of scaffold-associated TGFβ3 in an in vitro model. TGFβ3 could effectively be loaded onto tendon scaffolds so that at least 88% of the applied TGFβ3 were not detected in the rinsing fluid of the TGFβ3-loaded scaffolds. Equine adipose tissue-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) were then seeded on scaffolds loaded with 300 ng TGFβ3 to assess its bioactivity. Both scaffold-associated TGFβ3 and TGFβ3 dissolved in the cell culture medium, the latter serving as control group, promoted elongation of cell shapes and scaffold contraction ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, scaffold-associated and dissolved TGFβ3 affected MSC musculoskeletal gene expression in a similar manner, with an upregulation of tenascin c and downregulation of other matrix molecules, most markedly decorin ( p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that the bioactivity of scaffold-associated TGFβ3 is preserved, thus TGFβ3 application via absorption in decellularized tendon scaffolds is a feasible approach.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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