Chondrogenic Commitment of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Perfused Collagen Hydrogel Functionalized with hTGF-β1-Releasing PLGA Microcarrier

Tissue engineering strategies can be relevant for cartilage repair and regeneration. A collagen matrix was functionalized with the addition of poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid microcarriers (PLGA-MCs) carrying a human Transforming Growth Factor β1 (hTFG-β1) payload, to provide a 3D biomimetic environment with the capacity to direct stem cell commitment towards a chondrogenic phenotype. PLGA-MCs (mean size 3 ± 0.9 μm) were prepared via supercritical...