Meniscus Tissue Engineering and Regeneration

The menisci are crescent‐shaped fibrocartilage pads in the knee that absorb shock, distribute load and maintain joint stability. Their intrinsic healing capacity is limited, particularly in the inner avascular region, and meniscal defects often predispose to osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering approaches seek to restore native structure and function by combining scaffolds, cells and bioactive cues. Biomaterial scaffolds fabricated from polymers or composites recreate the anisotropic architecture and mechanical properties of the meniscus. Cell‐based strategies typically employ mesenchymal stem cells or endogenous cell recruitment to generate new fibrochondrocyte tissue. Controlled delivery of growth factors and enzymatic modifiers can enhance cell migration, integration and extracellular matrix deposition. Mechanical stimulation, whether by exercise protocols or biophysical actuators, further guides cell differentiation and matrix organisation. Together, these advances are paving the way towards translational therapies that can regenerate meniscal tissue, protect articular cartilage and reduce the global burden of knee osteoarthritis.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Innovative biomolecule‐releasing scaffolds have demonstrated seamless integration of engineered constructs with host tissue. One approach employs nanofibrous mats that sequentially release collagenase to increase matrix porosity followed by platelet‐derived growth factor to recruit endogenous cells into meniscal defects, resulting in enhanced cellularity and improved tissue integration. Another strategy uses a dual growth factor system in which an initial burst of connective tissue growth factor recruits synovial mesenchymal progenitors into the lesion, followed by sustained transforming growth factor β3 release to guide fibrochondrogenic differentiation. This step‐wise modulation of the repair environment has produced fibrocartilaginous tissue with mechanical properties approaching those of native meniscus and offers a clinically relevant route for healing avascular tears.

Meniscus Tissue Engineering and Regeneration publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in meniscus tissue engineering and regeneration across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Meniscus: Semilunar fibrocartilage structure in the knee that distributes load and aids joint stability.

Fibrocartilage: Connective tissue combining features of fibrous tissue and cartilage, rich in collagen types I and II.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs): Multipotent progenitor cells capable of differentiating into bone, cartilage and other cell types.

Endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT): Process by which endothelial cells acquire mesenchymal characteristics, contributing to tissue regeneration.

Extracellular matrix (ECM): Network of proteins and polysaccharides providing structural and biochemical support to cells.

Fibrochondrocyte: Specialized cell type producing fibrocartilage extracellular matrix in the meniscus.

References

1. Immunity-and-matrix-regulatory cells enhance cartilage regeneration for meniscus injuries: a phase I dose-escalation trial. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (2023).
2. Exercise Induced Endothelial Mesenchymal Transition (EndMT) Facilitates Meniscal Fibrocartilage Regeneration. Advanced Science (2024).
3. Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Transdifferentiate into Chondrocyte-Like Cells and Facilitate Meniscal Fibrocartilage Regeneration. Research (2024).
4. Programmed biomolecule delivery to enable and direct cell migration for connective tissue repair. Nature Communications (2017).