Human mesenchymal stem cell therapy for cartilage repair: Review on isolation, expansion, and constructs

Articular cartilage defects are one of the major challenges in orthopedic and trauma surgery. However, the poor ability of cartilage to self-repair has motivated efforts to engineer replacement tissues, and human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which have an extensive proliferation potential and can undergo chondrogenesis, have emerged as a promising cell source. In this review, we attempt to provide a brief overview of MSC isolation, characterization, current manufacturing platforms using various bioreactors, in vitro differentiation, and sealant-based or scaffold-based implantation.