Osteoarthritis is among the leading causes of disability worldwide,and no pharmacological therapies currently exist to reverse its progression.This lack of therapies is primarily attributed to the inadequacies of conv...Osteoarthritis is among the leading causes of disability worldwide,and no pharmacological therapies currently exist to reverse its progression.This lack of therapies is primarily attributed to the inadequacies of conventional in vitro models of joint physiology and pathology,which significantly hinder advancements in disease mechanism research and drug development.As an emerging in vitro joint model,joint-on-a-chip(JoC)technology allows low-cost,efficient simulation of physiological and pathological joint activities,making it a focal point of current research.Cartilage,subchondral bone,and synovium are among the key tissues required for constructing in vitro joint models,with cartilage playing a central load-bearing role in joint movement.This article provides a detailed overview of the structure and function of these tissues,with an emphasis on the load-bearing mechanisms of cartilage,and identifies the microenvironmental characteristics that JoC should aim to replicate.Subsequently,we review the current types of JoC and highlight their core challenge:the seamless integration of multi-tissue co-culture with specific mechanical stimulation.To address this issue,we propose potential solutions and present a conceptual design for a JoC prototype.Finally,we discuss the challenges and issues related to the outlook for JoC.Our ultimate goal is to develop a JoC capable of replicating the key microenvironments of joints,serving as a high-performance in vitro joint model to advance the study of disease mechanisms and facilitate drug development.展开更多
In the field of bone defect repair,critical requirements for favorable cytocompatibility and optimal mechanical properties have propelled research efforts towards the development of composite materials.In this study,c...In the field of bone defect repair,critical requirements for favorable cytocompatibility and optimal mechanical properties have propelled research efforts towards the development of composite materials.In this study,carbon nanotubes/polylactic acid/hydroxyapatite(CNTs/PLA/HA)scaffolds with different contents(0.5,1,1.5 and 2 wt.%)of CNTs were prepared by the thermally induced phase separation(TIPS)method.The results revealed that the composite scaffolds had uniform pores with high porosities over 68%and high through performances.The addition of CNTs significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of resulted PLA/HA,in which the 1.5 wt.%CNTs/PLA/HA composite scaffold demonstrated the optimum mechanical behaviors with the bending elastic modulus of(868.5±12.34)MPa,the tensile elastic modulus of(209.51±12.73)MPa,and the tensile strength of(3.26±0.61)MPa.Furthermore,L929 cells on the 1.5 wt.%CNTs/PLA/HA scaffold displayed good spreading performance and favorable cytocompatibility.Therefore,it is expected that the 1.5 wt.%CNTs/PLA/HA scaffold has potential applications in bone tissue engineering.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12202302,12272253)Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province,China(202403021223002)+1 种基金Sanjin Talents Program for Science and Technology Innovation Teams of Shanxi Province(SJYC2024493)the CUHK Peter Hung Pain Research Institute(PHPRI/2024/122)。
文摘Osteoarthritis is among the leading causes of disability worldwide,and no pharmacological therapies currently exist to reverse its progression.This lack of therapies is primarily attributed to the inadequacies of conventional in vitro models of joint physiology and pathology,which significantly hinder advancements in disease mechanism research and drug development.As an emerging in vitro joint model,joint-on-a-chip(JoC)technology allows low-cost,efficient simulation of physiological and pathological joint activities,making it a focal point of current research.Cartilage,subchondral bone,and synovium are among the key tissues required for constructing in vitro joint models,with cartilage playing a central load-bearing role in joint movement.This article provides a detailed overview of the structure and function of these tissues,with an emphasis on the load-bearing mechanisms of cartilage,and identifies the microenvironmental characteristics that JoC should aim to replicate.Subsequently,we review the current types of JoC and highlight their core challenge:the seamless integration of multi-tissue co-culture with specific mechanical stimulation.To address this issue,we propose potential solutions and present a conceptual design for a JoC prototype.Finally,we discuss the challenges and issues related to the outlook for JoC.Our ultimate goal is to develop a JoC capable of replicating the key microenvironments of joints,serving as a high-performance in vitro joint model to advance the study of disease mechanisms and facilitate drug development.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12202302,12272253,and 82103147)The support of the Fund Program for the Scientific Activities of Selected Returned Overseas Professionals in Shanxi Province(Grant No.20220006)was also acknowledged with gratitude.
文摘In the field of bone defect repair,critical requirements for favorable cytocompatibility and optimal mechanical properties have propelled research efforts towards the development of composite materials.In this study,carbon nanotubes/polylactic acid/hydroxyapatite(CNTs/PLA/HA)scaffolds with different contents(0.5,1,1.5 and 2 wt.%)of CNTs were prepared by the thermally induced phase separation(TIPS)method.The results revealed that the composite scaffolds had uniform pores with high porosities over 68%and high through performances.The addition of CNTs significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of resulted PLA/HA,in which the 1.5 wt.%CNTs/PLA/HA composite scaffold demonstrated the optimum mechanical behaviors with the bending elastic modulus of(868.5±12.34)MPa,the tensile elastic modulus of(209.51±12.73)MPa,and the tensile strength of(3.26±0.61)MPa.Furthermore,L929 cells on the 1.5 wt.%CNTs/PLA/HA scaffold displayed good spreading performance and favorable cytocompatibility.Therefore,it is expected that the 1.5 wt.%CNTs/PLA/HA scaffold has potential applications in bone tissue engineering.
