Animal Models Used for Testing Hydrogels in Cartilage Regeneration.

Local cartilage or osteochondral lesions are painful and harmful. Besides pain and limited function of joints, cartilage defect is considered as one of the leading extrinsic risk factors for osteoarthritis (OA). Thus, clinicians and scientists have paid great attention to regenerative therapeutic methods for the early treatment of cartilaginous defects. Regenerative medicine, showing great hope for regenerating cartilage tissue, relies on the combination of biodegradable scaffolds and particular biological factors, such as growth factors, genetic cues. Among all biomaterials, hydrogels have become a promising type of scaffolds for simultaneous cell growth and drug delivery in cartilage tissue engineering. A wide range of animal models have been applied in testing repair with hydrogels in cartilage defects. This review summarized the current animal models used to test hydrogels technologies for the regeneration of cartilage. Advantages and disadvantages in the establishment of the cartilage defect animal models among different species were emphasized, as well as the feasibility of replication of diseases in animals.

Molecular Mechanisms of PPAR-γ Governing MSC Osteogenic and Adipogenic Differentiation.

Sharing the same precursor cell lineage located in the bone marrow, mesenchymal stroma/stem cells (MSCs), osteoblasts and adipocytes have a reciprocal relationship in differentiation and function. The nuclear transcription factor peroxisome-proliferator- activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) has been found expressed in both osteoblasts and adipocytes, as well as in MSCs, suggesting its crucial role in regulating adipocyte formation and osteoblast development. It has been observed in animal models that upregulated PPAR-γ activity results in bone loss where marrow adiposity is facilitated, while downregulated PPAR-γ activity leads to bone mass elevation. Evidence suggests that the dual function of PPAR-γ in either anti-osteoblastic or pro-adipocytic aspects is determined by its ligand. Furthermore, various cytokines and extracellular signaling pathways are involved in the transactivation of PPAR-γ, which can trigger the adipogenesis/osteoblastogenesis switch. PPAR-γ, therefore, shows tremendous potential in novel strategies for bone tissue engineering and clinical application. This review summarizes the regulatory function of PPAR-γ in MSC differentiation, as well as the cytokine and extracellular signaling pathways participating in the cross-talk between adipogenesis and osteoblastogenesis.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ and Its Ligands in the Treatment of Tumors in the Nervous System.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor -γ (PPARγ) has been identified in a wide range of cancers, including brain, breast, colon, stomach and lung cancers. It belongs to the thyroid/ steroid hormone receptors superfamily. Binding with their special ligands, PPARγ plays important roles in regulating transcription of their target genes. PPARγ activation suppresses the growth of the tumor cells, implicating the anti-tumor potential of PPARγ ligand. Tumors in the nervous system are among the most devastating cancers. This review highlights key advances in understanding the effects of PPARγ ligands in the treatment of tumors in the nervous system.