Pharmacological modulation of human mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis by a chemically oversulfated polysaccharide of marine origin: potential application to cartilage regenerative medicine.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as an attractive source of cells for cartilage engineering due to their availability and capacity for expansion and multipotency. Differentiation of MSC into chondrocytes is crucial to successful cartilage regeneration and can be induced by various biological agents, including polysaccharides that participate in many biological processes through interactions with growth factors. Here, we hypothesize that growth factor-induced differentiation of MSC can be increased by chemically oversulfated marine polysaccharides. To test our hypothesis, human adipose tissue-derived MSCs (hATSCs) were cultured in pellets with transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1-supplemented chondrogenic medium containing either the polysaccharide GY785 DR or its oversulfated isoform GY785 DRS. Chondrogenesis was monitored by the measurement of pellet volume, quantification of DNA, collagens, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and immunohistological staining. Our data revealed an increase in pellet volume, total collagens, and GAG production with GY785 DRS and chondrogenic medium. The enhanced chondrogenic differentiation of hATSC was further demonstrated by the increased expression of several chondrogenic markers by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In addition, surface plasmon resonance analyses revealed that TGF-ß1 bound GY785 DRS with higher affinity compared to GY785 DR. In association with TGF-ß1, GY785 DRS was found to upregulate the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, indicating that oversulfated polysaccharide affects the mitogen activated protein kinase signaling activity. These results demonstrate the upregulation of TGF-ß1-dependent stem cell chondrogenesis by a chemically oversulfated marine polysaccharide. This polysaccharide of marine origin is easily producible and therefore could be considered a promising additive to drive efficient and reliable MSC chondrogenesis for cartilage tissue engineering.

The importance of endo-lysosomal escape with lipid nanocapsules for drug subcellular bioavailability.

To establish the therapeutic relevance of new nanocarriers, rationalization of knowledge on their interactions with biological structures is essential. In the present study, we have investigated endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) in rat glioma cells. Radiolabelled and fluorescent LNCs were synthesized by using a phase inversion process that follows the formation of an oil/water microemulsion containing triglycerides, lecithins and a non-ionic surfactant, the hydroxystearate of poly(ethylene glycol) (HS-PEG). Our data revealed that LNCs were rapidly accumulated within cells (from 2 min exposure) through active and saturating mechanisms involving endogenous cholesterol with a major contribution of clathrin/caveolae-independent pathways. Although initially present in endosomes, LNCs can bypass the endo-lysosomal compartment with only 10% of the cell-internalized fraction found in isolated lysosomes after 2 h exposure. As demonstrated by use of lysosomal probes, LNCs reverted lysosome integrity similarly to V-ATPase inhibitors and in a size-dependent fashion with best efficiency for small nanoparticles. When loaded with paclitaxel, smallest LNCs also triggered the best cell death activity. Those LNC properties are ascribed to the proportion of HS-PEG they provided to the cell. They are important to consider toward the development of nanomedicines that use drugs sensitive to lysosomal degradation or that need to reach extra endo-lysosomal targets.