[Research Articles] Agrin induces long-term osteochondral regeneration by supporting repair morphogenesis

We report that agrin is a potent chondrogenic factor and that a single intraarticular administration of agrin induced long-lasting regeneration of critical-size osteochondral defects in mice, with restoration of tissue architecture and bone-cartilage interface. Agrin attracted joint resident progenitor cells to the site of injury and, through simultaneous activation of CREB and suppression of canonical WNT signaling downstream of β-catenin, induced expression of the chondrogenic stem cell marker GDF5 and differentiation into stable articular chondrocytes, forming stable articular cartilage. In sheep, an agrin-containing collagen gel resulted in long-lasting regeneration of bone and cartilage, which promoted increased ambulatory activity. Our findings support the therapeutic use of agrin for joint surface regeneration.

Source: Science Translational Medicine - September 1, 2020 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Eldridge, S. E., Barawi, A., Wang, H., Roelofs, A. J., Kaneva, M., Guan, Z., Lydon, H., Thomas, B. L., Thorup, A.-S., Fernandez, B. F., Caxaria, S., Strachan, D., Ali, A., Shanmuganathan, K., Pitzalis, C., Whiteford, J. R., Henson, F., McCaskie, A. W., De Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research