Fabrication of cartilage/natural rubber latex biocomposites derived from human mesenchymal stem cells in hypoxia

Abstract To broaden the knowledge regarding regenerative medicine in natural rubber latex (NRL) nanoparticles, we have examined the chondrogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) with NRL nanoparticles under hypoxia condition. We have successfully fabricated the cartilage/NRL biocomposites via hMSCs spheroid under hypoxic condition, where the administration of NRL nanoparticles exhibits the suppression of the spheroid contraction due to the cellular proliferation of hMSCs. It has been found that the NRL nanoparticles acted as a main component, which provides surface heterogeneity of the spheroid, leading to the mechanically stable structure with higher modulus in comparison with the control as revealed by atomic force microscopy microindentation. Under hypoxia condition, the effective gene expression of in vitro chondrogenesis of hMSCs with administration of NRL was confirmed as revealed by the chondrogenic gene expression analysis compared with that under normoxia condition. Graphical Abstract