Stiffened fibre-like microenvironment based on patterned equidistant micropillars directs chondrocyte hypertrophy

• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100682
• Publication Date: 2023-05-27T15:40:13Z
• Authors: Mengmeng Duan; Shuang Xia; Yang Liu; Xiaohua Pu; Yukun Chen; Yilin Zhou; Minglei Huang; Caixia Pi; Demao Zhang; Jing Xie
• Keywords: Mechanotransduction

Articular cartilage, composed of collagen type II as a major extracellular matrix and chondrocyte unique cell type, is specialized connective tissue without blood vessels, lymphatic vessels nerves. This distinctive characteristic articular cartilage determines its very limited ability to repair when damaged. It well known that physical microenvironmental signals regulate many behaviors such morphology, adhesion, proliferation communication even determine fate. Interestingly, with increasing age or progression joint diseases osteoarthritis (OA), the fibrils in become larger diameter, leading stiffening reducing resistance external tension, which turn aggravates damage diseases. Therefore, designing microenvironment closer real thus obtaining data cellular behaviour, then revealing biological mechanisms chondrocytes pathological states crucial importance for treatment OA disease. Here we fabricated micropillar substrates same topology but different stiffnesses mimic occurs transition from normal diseased cartilage. was first found responded stiffened by showing spreading area, stronger enhancement cytoskeleton rearrangement more stability focal adhesion plaques. The activation Erk/MAPK signalling detected response substrate. nuclear area at interface layer between cells top surfaces micropillars observed Finally, it substrate promoted hypertrophy. Taken together, these results revealed responses terms cytoskeleton, nuclei hypertrophy, may be beneficial understanding functional changes affected during state osteoarthritis.