Abstract
A three-dimensional alginate-coated scaffold (GAIS) was constructed in the present study to showcase the multidifferentiation potential of peripheral blood mesenchymal stem cells (PBMSCs) and to investigate the role and mechanism by which Icariin (ICA)/stromal cell-derived factor (SDF-1α)/PBMSCs promote damaged articular repair. In addition, the ability of ICA, in combination with SDF-1α, to promote the migration and proliferation of stem cells was validated through the utilization of CCK-8 and migration experiments. The combination of ICA and SDF-1α inhibited the differentiation of PBMSCs into cartilage, as demonstrated by in vivo experiments and histological staining. Both PCR and western blot experiments showed that GAIS could upregulate the expression of particular genes in chondrocytes. In comparison to scaffolds devoid of alginate (G0), PBMSCs seeded into GAIS scaffolds exhibited a greater rate of proliferation, and the conditioned medium derived from scaffolds containing SDF-1α enhanced the capacity for cell migration. Moreover, after a 12-week treatment period, GAIS, when successfully transplanted into osteochondral defects of mice, was found to promote cartilage regeneration and repair. The findings, therefore, demonstrate that GAIS enhanced the in vitro capabilities of PBMSCs, including proliferation, migration, homing and chondrogenic differentiation. In addition, ICA and SDF-1α effectively collaborated to support cartilage formation in vivo. Thus, the ICA/SDF-1α/PBMSC-loaded biodegradable alginate-gelatin scaffolds showcase considerable potential for use in cartilage repair.