In October 2024, Yu Han, a 2023 cohort clinical medicine PhD student co-trained by Ningbo University and a French institution, published a research article titled "Hydrogel microspheres for stem cell recruitment and induction of directed differentiation in osteoarthritis therapy" as the first author in the "Chemical Engineering Journal" (a top journal in both categories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, IF: 13.3).
Schematic Diagram of Hydrogel Microspheres for Stem Cell Recruitment and Directed Differentiation in Osteoarthritis Therapy
Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by early localized lesions and weak self-repair capabilities of articular cartilage. Currently, there are no effective clinical methods to repair damaged cartilage and treat OA. Stem cell therapy holds great potential for treating OA, but its application is limited by high operational costs, difficulties in maintaining stem cell viability, and low differentiation efficiency. Magnesium ions (Mg2+), one of the most abundant metal ions in the human body, play a key role in tissue regeneration and repair. Therefore, starting from the challenges of clinical stem cell therapy application and aiming at the synergistic treatment of early OA with stem cell and metal ion therapies, this study designed and prepared hydrogel microspheres that can recruit stem cells and promote their directed differentiation. The therapeutic effect on OA was verified through in vivo and in vitro experiments, elucidating the mechanism of action. This hydrogel microsphere-based treatment strategy not only combines the advantages of stem cell therapy, overcoming its limitations, but also broadens the therapeutic applications of metal ions, providing a new method for OA treatment.
The main corresponding author of the paper is Peng Zhaoxiang, chief physician at Li Huili Hospital affiliated with Ningbo University. Co-corresponding authors include Chen Gang, chief physician at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, and Huang Chenglong, associate chief physician at Tongji Hospital affiliated with Tongji University. The co-first authors are Luo Huanhuan, a researcher at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, and Chen Jianping, a professional master's student in surgery at Ningbo University. The research was supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Medical and Health Science and Technology Plan, the Ningbo Natural Science Foundation, and the Ningbo University Scientific Research Innovation Fund. Additionally, the study received guidance from Professor Guillaume Herlem of the University of Franche-Comté, France. The student began a two-year joint PhD training program at the University of Burgundi Franche-Comté (UBFC), a partner university of the Health Science Center, in early 2024.
