Fig. 3
From: Modification of mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage-targeted therapy
Strategies for the targeted delivery of MSCs to articular cartilage. IA of MSCs showed both tissue regeneration potential and paracrine effects (e.g., anti-apoptosis, reduced inflammation, or regulation of immune responses). MSC surfaces can be conjugated with specific antibodies against antigens present on the cartilage surface (e.g., anti- cartilage matrix proteoglycan, Col II) (Abs). Surface modification of MSCs via cartilage matrix-targeting peptides imparts additional functionality to enable site-specific delivery. Genetically engineered MSCs highly expressing CXCR4 facilitate MSC recruitment to the cartilage via a homing mechanism. In addition, magnetic targeting systems can direct the delivery of MSCs to the desired region by using external magnetic forces