Treatment and application of stem cells from different sources for cartilage injury: a literature review.

Background and Objective: Cartilage defects and degeneration have a major impact on daily mobility and quality of life for millions of people worldwide. As the most effective seed cells for tissue engineering applications in regenerative medicine, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent cells with mesoderm and neural crest origin. The combination of biomaterial scaffolds with stem cells and drugs for cartilage damage repair has brought much hope to the medical field. Methods: We searched and compared the literature on cartilage damage repaired by stem cells through PubMed and Web of Science method, this review summarizes the research progress of mesenchymal stem cells from various tissue sources in repairing articular cartilage injury. Key Content and Findings: We found that peripheral blood, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord are classic stem cell sources. Stem cells can be stimulated by various growth factors, recombinant proteins, or important monomers to generate cartilage in vitro. At the same time, MSCs obtained from various sources can secrete different growth factors to further regulate their own cartilage formation. These stem cells may promote the cartilage damage repair by promoting differentiation and fighting inflammation. Conclusions: This review summarizes and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the ability of MSCs from different sources to treat cartilage injury, and provides help and identification for the subsequent in-depth research and preclinical application of various MSCs.