Effect of xanthohumol-loaded anti-inflammatory scaffolds on cartilage regeneration in goats

This study explores a new approach to cartilage repair by creating a scaffold that not only supports new cartilage growth but also fights inflammation. Inflammation often hinders the success of cartilage regeneration, so a scaffold with anti-inflammatory properties could significantly improve outcomes. The researchers used a substance called xanthohumol, extracted from hops, known for its anti-inflammatory effects. They loaded this substance into a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffold, a material commonly used in tissue engineering, to create a drug-eluting scaffold. The study involved both in vitro (laboratory) and in vivo (animal) experiments. In the animal study, the xanthohumol-loaded scaffolds, along with bone marrow stem cells, were implanted into goats to observe cartilage regeneration and anti-inflammatory effects.

• 1
  The xanthohumol-loaded PLGA scaffolds exhibited anti-inflammatory properties in vitro, reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) in macrophages.
• 2
  In vivo, the BMSCs-scaffolds containing xanthohumol maintained their shape and size better than the control scaffolds without xanthohumol after implantation in goats.
• 3
  The xanthohumol-loaded scaffolds promoted better cartilage regeneration in vivo, as evidenced by higher levels of cartilage-specific glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen type II, and lower expression of inflammatory cytokines.