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Bone and Cartilage Injury and Repair: Molecular Aspects

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 97

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Grupo de Investigación en Terapia Celular y Medicina Regenerativa, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña (CHUAC), Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), 15006 A Coruña, Spain
Interests: tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cell therapy, bioprinting, stem cells
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bone and cartilage injuries pose a clinical and research challenge due to their limited regenerative capacity and the complexity of their molecular repair mechanisms. Understanding the biomolecular processes involved in tissue damage, inflammation, and regeneration is essential for developing effective therapies.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences will gather research on the molecular aspects of bone and cartilage injury and regeneration. We welcome original research and review articles on molecular signaling pathways, gene expression, epigenetic regulation, stem cell-based therapies, biomaterials, immune modulation, oxidative stress, and novel therapeutic strategies. Studies exploring the interplay between inflammation, mechanobiology, and molecular responses, as well as translational approaches bridging basic research with clinical applications, are also encouraged.

By advancing knowledge in bone and cartilage biology, this Special Issue aims to foster innovative therapeutic strategies in regenerative medicine.

Dr. Silvia María Díaz-Prado
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • bone and cartilage repair
  • regenerative medicine
  • inflammation and immune response
  • stem cell therapy
  • extracellular matrix remodeling
  • biomaterials
  • drug delivery systems
  • therapeutic targets
  • biomarkers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 10181 KiB  
Article
Encapsulation of Transforming Growth Factor-β3 in Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cartilage Tissue Engineering
by Ana Isabel Rodríguez-Cendal, José Señarís-Rodríguez, María Piñeiro-Ramil, Loreto Cabarcos-Mouzo, María del Carmen Veiga-Barbazán, Rosa María Mejide-Faílde, Francisco Javier de Toro-Santos, Isaac Manuel Fuentes-Boquete and Silvia María Díaz-Prado
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(11), 4997; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26114997 - 22 May 2025
Abstract
Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a naturally occurring biopolymer belonging to the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family. Due to its excellent properties (biocompatible, biodegradable, and non-toxic), this biopolymer is presented as a very suitable option for use in regenerative therapy as a drug delivery system (DDS). The [...] Read more.
Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a naturally occurring biopolymer belonging to the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family. Due to its excellent properties (biocompatible, biodegradable, and non-toxic), this biopolymer is presented as a very suitable option for use in regenerative therapy as a drug delivery system (DDS). The protein encapsulated in this study is transforming growth factor β3 (TGF-β3), which plays a key role in the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The main objective of this work is to evaluate the efficacy of PHBV nanoparticles (NPs) produced from a dairy by-product (whey) as a DDS of TGF-β3 for cartilage regeneration and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and to reduce the complications associated with multiple high doses of TGF-β3 in its free form. For this purpose, biopolymer cytotoxicity, factor release, cell viability, cell proliferation, and differentiation were analyzed. The results showed that the biomaterial purified with chloroform and ethanol, either by single or double precipitation, was not toxic to cells. A sustained release profile was observed, reaching its maximum around day 4. The TGF-β3 NPs promoted the differentiation of MSCs into chondrocytes and the formation of ECM. In conclusion, PHBV demonstrated its potential as an optimal material for DDSs in cartilage regenerative therapy, effectively addressing the key challenge of the need for a single delivery method to reduce complications associated with multiple high doses of TGF-β3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bone and Cartilage Injury and Repair: Molecular Aspects)
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