# Crosslinkable cell scale fibers for large meniscus defect repair

> **NIH NIH R21** · DREXEL UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $205,705

## Abstract

Abstract
The meniscus plays a vital role in healthy knee function. However, given the centrality of this tissue in load
transfer and the demanding physical environment, injury is common and healing in adults is limited. The
current lack of regenerative solutions for knee meniscus injury arises, in part, from the significant gap in
technology that can be used to repair the dense and complex tissue structure of the meniscus. Particularly
challenging is regenerating the distinct inner and outer zones of tissue, which have distinct composition and
mechanical properties to enable effective load bearing. While scaffolds that mimic the bulk geometry of
meniscus are being introduced clinically to promote the repair/regeneration of meniscus, these scaffolds do not
provide the microscopic, cell-scale cues that are needed to simulate cells to form tissue matching these region-
specific attributes. This limitation leads to immature meniscus-like tissue, lacking in load-bearing capacity. It is
increasingly well understood that structural properties (e.g., shape and stiffness) of cell-scale structures can
influence the cell activity and direct matrix formation. To harness these insights, our team developed the
FiberGel system to generate biopolymer-based, cell-scale microfibers, in which individual fibers have a tunable
diameter and stiffness. These microfibers can be molded and crosslinked into various shapes to fill meniscus
defects, and the internal microfibers can be formed into a random or aligned configuration to mimic the
different regions of the native meniscus. Meniscus cells can be directly mixed into the FiberGel paste before
crosslinking to produce uniformly cellularized constructs. In this proposal, we optimize this promising material
to define conditions that promote formation of inner and outer zone phenotypes and structures. We will
determine how the tunable parameters of FiberGel system — diameter, stiffness and alignment — impact the
biosynthetic activities of meniscus cells through a series of studies designed to refine and optimize matrix
formation. To determine how FiberGel-based implants respond to mechanical forces that arise with joint
motion, we will also use a custom mechanical bioreactor to apply physiologic load to constructs during their
maturation. Our central hypothesis is that there exists an optimal set of microfibers parameters (diameter,
stiffness and alignment) for regenerating the inner and outer regions of our meniscus. Successful completion of
this work will generate FiberGel formulations that may be used for the clinical repair of the knee meniscus.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10016189
- **Project number:** 5R21AR075977-02
- **Recipient organization:** DREXEL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Li Hsin Han
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $205,705
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-15 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10016189

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10016189, Crosslinkable cell scale fibers for large meniscus defect repair (5R21AR075977-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10016189. Licensed CC0.

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