# Decellularized Matrix and Cartilage Regeneration

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $330,000

## Abstract

Project Summary
Articular cartilage repair remains a challenge because of the lack of blood supply and accompanying
posttraumatic inflammation. Despite the fact that autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) is an option,
cell source limitations retard the broad application of this approach clinically. Recently, there is increasing
evidence indicating that adult stem cells are promising cell sources, particularly for stem cells derived from
synovium (SDSCs), owing to its higher chondrogenic potential and lower hypertrophy. A small biopsy through
arthroscopy can only provide a limited number of SDSCs for tissue regeneration, thus in vitro cell expansion is
necessary; unfortunately, conventional expansion on plastic flasks causes cell senescence and loss of
proliferation and differentiation capacity. Our recent reports indicated that decellularized extracellular matrix
(dECM) deposited by SDSCs could enhance expanded stem cells' proliferation and chondrogenic potential. In
this proposal, our central hypothesis is that dECM deposited by SDSCs can provide a superior tissue-specific
matrix microenvironment for the optimal rejuvenation of human adult SDSCs in cartilage regeneration and
defect repair. To achieve this hypothesis, we want to determine whether dECM deposited by SDSCs provides
a superior matrix microenvironment for human adult SDSC rejuvenation compared to matrices from adipose-
derived stem cells (ADSCs), urine-derived stem cells (UDSCs), or dermal fibroblasts (DFs) (Aim 1). We also
plan to explore potential rejuvenation mechanisms by identifying specific matrix component(s) responsible for
the rejuvenation of chondrogenic capacity via triggering the activation of critical integrin receptor(s) in
expanded SDSCs (Aim 2). Lastly, a translational animal model will be used to evaluate SDSC/dECM repair
strategies (Aim 3). Our objective is to determine the efficacy of this novel cell expansion system in providing a
high quantity of high-quality SDSCs for the treatment of cartilage defects. This objective is consistent with our
long-term goal which is to identify strategies for improved repair of cartilage defects in osteoarthritic patients
using autologous stem cells. The primary impact of our expected findings would be significant not only in
advancing the development of new generations of stem cell-based approaches for cartilage engineering and
regeneration, but also in providing fundamental new knowledge regarding the interaction between stem cell
and matrix microenvironment as well as potential mechanisms underlying stem cell rejuvenation by the
surrounding stem cell matrix. Our dECM approach may also provide an excellent model for developing other
tissue regeneration approaches.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10000048
- **Project number:** 5R01AR067747-05
- **Recipient organization:** WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ming Pei
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $330,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10000048

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10000048, Decellularized Matrix and Cartilage Regeneration (5R01AR067747-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-03 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10000048. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*