Traditional techniques and experimental therapeutic approach for the restore of degenerate cartilages

Cartilage is unable to repair itself. The actual treatments for cartilage lesions primarily cover up symptoms only and this had led to develop alternative means to restore degenerated cartilage, above all by using cell therapy. The therapeutic approaches initially focused on the implantation of autologous chondrocytes, but this technique proved unsatisfactory. The discovery that several adult human tissues contain mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) capable of differentiating into chondrocytes raised the possibility of using MSCs to repair cartilages. In the present study we investigated whether mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue (hADAS) are able to differentiate into cartilage cells. We isolated cells from lipoaspirates, characterized them detecting specific surface markers by FACS analysis and immunofluorescence. We differentiate hADAS towards condrogenic line in a culture media supplemented with some specific factors and in a specific condition called pellet culture. The isolation of hADAS cells is reproducible and characterized by an high reproductivity, non dependent from the donor age. The expression of surface markers suits with the literature data. The cells differentiated towards chondrogenic line in pellet culture show a different morphology from the undifferentiated cells. The potential application of MSC therapy provides new hope for the development of innovative treatments for the repair of cartilage lesions and disorders.