Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of in vivo cartilage formation by direct injection the chondrogenicundifferentiated human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) mixed with fibrin glue
including TGF-β3.
Materials and Methods: Chondrogenic differentiation induced hBMSCs for 14 days (control group-2) and undifferentiated hBMSCs combined with TGF-β3 mixed (experimental group-3) with fibrin glue and fibrin
glue only (control group-1) were injected subcutanteously into the back of nude mouse. For evaluation of the cartilage-like tissue formed after 8 weeks after injection, real time PCR, histological analysis and immunohistochemical
analysis were used.
Results: Control group-1 did not form any visible mass. Control group-2 as well as experimental group-3 could form new cartilage-like tissue which were demonstrated expression of type II collagen by real-time PCR,
histology analysis such as H&E staining, MT staining and type II collagen specific immunohistologic analysis. As results, expression of type II collagen was shown in the both groups.
Conclusion: Our study confirmed that cartilage-like tissues could be formed in subcutaneous layer of nude mouse by direct injection mixed with fibrin glue including TGF-β3 without chondrogenic-induction of hBMSCs,
suggesting that these model could be suitable for preliminary studies or optimizing experiments to evaluate reconstruction of cartilage.