Stimulation of chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

The methods for cartilage repair have been studied so far, yet many of them seem to have limitations due to the low regenerative capacity of articular cartilage. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) has been suggested as an alternative solution to remedy this challenging problem. MSCs, which have extensive differentiation capacity, can be induced to differentiate into chondrocytes under specific conditions. Particularly, this review focused on the effects of growth factors, cell-to-cell interactions and biomaterials in chondrogenesis of MSCs. Appropriate stimulations through these factors are crucial in differentiation and proliferation of MSCs. However, use of MSCs for cartilage repair has some drawbacks and risks, such as expression of hypertrophy-related genes in MSCs-derived chondrocytes and consequent calcification or cell death. Nevertheless, the clinical application of MSCs is expected in the future with advanced technology.