Singapore Researchers Develops New Method for Predicting MSCs’ Cartilage Repair Efficacy
Researchers from Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (Camp) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (Smart), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, and collaborators from the National University of Singapore Tissue Engineering Programme (Nustep) have discovered a more efficient method for evaluating the ability of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to regenerate cartilage. The new method is also the first to utilise topological defects in the self-assembly of MSCs to forecast their cartilage regeneration potential.
MSCs are promising therapeutic agents for cartilage regeneration, and they have the potential to help create new cartilage tissue within the body. Previously, assessing the potential of these cells for effective cartilage regeneration involved culturing them in a complex 3D environment for a lengthy period of 21 days. The novel method developed by Camp researchers involves a simpler 2D monolayer culture system of the cells for 9 days, followed by imaging and processing of the images. The method is non-destructive, more accurate, and faster – requiring only 9 days. This could significantly accelerate the development of cartilage regeneration therapies.
According to Dr Ekta Makhija, lead author of the paper and Research Scientist at Smart Camp, the innovative approach to evaluating MSC effectiveness for cartilage repair represents a significant advancement by enabling non-destructive evaluation of MSCs and reducing the assessment period to a mere nine days.
In their study published in Plos One, Smart Camp found that irregularities in the self-assembly of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) could indicate their ability to regenerate cartilage. By analyzing cell patterns over time, they identified liquid crystal-like structures with defects that correlated with early cartilage development markers. This method offers a more reliable alternative to traditional approaches, allowing for faster assessment of MSCs’ potential for cartilage regeneration. Moving forward, researchers are focusing on collective MSC behavior, offering a promising avenue for identifying effective candidates for future therapies.
Dr Zhiyong Poon, Principal Investigator at Smart Camp, Senior Research Fellow at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and a corresponding author of the paper adds that this method offers a
major advantage for manufacturers to conduct more frequent testing of their cell-based medicine, ensuring safety, purity, and effectiveness throughout production. This can potentially speed up the traditionally long process of securing regulatory approval for cell-based medicines, he said.
Professor Eng Hin Lee, Principal Investigator at Smart Camp and Emeritus Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, stated that the new method signifies an important advancement in approaching cartilage regeneration. By providing a more efficient way to evaluate MSCs during production, it can hasten the development of therapies for joint injuries and common ailments like osteoarthritis, particularly prevalent in the aging population. This addresses limitations of current surgical and pharmaceutical approaches in restoring cartilage function.
The next phase for SMART researchers involves assessing whether these patterns can similarly predict the effectiveness of MSCs for cartilage repair in living organisms. This research, supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore through its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) program, aims to advance our understanding in this field.
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