Supplemental table 1: Selected important studies using chondrogenic cells and decellularized cartilage ECM (2007 to 2016)

cell Source / scaffold species
GFs / methods/
targets / outcome / citation
canine BMSCs / porous scaffold prepared by freeze drying and cross-linking of scattered human joint derived decellularized cartilage ECM
bFGF, TGFβ1 / in vitro: adhesion, proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs
in vivo: chondro-genically induced BMSCs labeled with PKH26 were implanted into nude mice. / in vitro: (3 weeks) presence of cells on the construct surface.
in vivo: (4 weeks)
after explantation viable cells originated from the labelled BMSCs detectable, cartilage like-tissue with type II collagen and GAGs / (Yang, Peng et al. 2008)
human AD-MSCs / decellularized porcine articular cartilage
without GFs / in vitro:
porous articular cartilage scaffold,
(immuno-) histology, cartilage markers / in vitro:
(4-6 weeks)
tissue- engineered construct resembled native cartilage histologically and mechanically / (Cheng, Estes et al. 2009)
porcine chondro-cytes / decellularized porcine ear cartilage
GF: N/A / in vitro: cell-free ear cartilage ECM sheets and chondrocytes (from newborn pigs) stacked layer-by-layer in a sandwich model
in vivo: implanted into nude mice,
histology / in vitro: (4 weeks) cartilage-like tissues was formed
A shaped cartilage construct could be built
in vivo: (12 weeks) mature cartilage was achieved / (Gong, Xue et al. 2011)
murine 3T3 fibro-blasts and baby hamster kidney cells / decellularized porcine articular cartilage and bone
GF: N/A / in vitro:
biocompati-bility of the scaffolds was determined using contact cytotoxicity assays (2 days)
in vivo: implanted into galactosyl-transferase knockout mice / decellularized cartilage was cyto-compatible / (Kheir, Stapleton et al. 2011)
canine BMSCs / biphasic scaffold consisting of decellularized canine articular cartilage and cancellous bone ECM
bFGF, TGFβ1 / in vivo:
scaffolds were loaded with chondro-genically induced BMSC and implanted into osteo-chondral articular carti-lage (femur condyle) defects. / in vivo: (3+6 month)
osteochondral defect repair of the experimental group was superior compared with controls (higher macroscopic and histological grading scores) / (Yang, Peng et al. 2011)
canine BMSCs
(PKH26 labelled) / scaffolds prepared from decellularized human articular cartilage ECM using freeze drying technique
bFGF, TGFβ1 / in vitro: (immuno-) histology, cytotoxicity, biochemical and biomechanical analyses / in vitro: (1-3 weeks) BMSCs were evenly distributed on the surface, inside the pores throughout the scaffold and synthesized cartilage-like tissue containing GAGs and type II collagen / (Zhao, Yang et al. 2013)
rabbit ADMSCs / prepared from shattered and decellularized human articular cartilage ECM using freeze drying technique
bFGF, TGFβ1 / in vitro: ADSCs were dynamically cultured (bioreactor) on the ECM
in vivo: scaffolds were implanted into nude mice
(immuno-) histochemistry / in vitro: (3 weeks) Safranin-O, alcian blue and type II collagen stainings in the dynamic group were stronger
in vivo: (3 weeks)
cartilage-like tissues formed / (Kang, Lu et al. 2014)
rat BMSCs / decellularized or devitalized porcine articular cartilage
TGFβ3 / in vitro: cells were cultured either as pure cell pellets (with/without induction) or in pellets with decellularized or with devitalized cartilage particles. GAGs, collagen types I and II, Sox9 were analyzed. / in vitro: (1 week) BMSC pellets with decellularized ECM particles revealed higher DNA content than controls and higher type II collagen (day 3) and more pronounced SOX9, collagen type X gene and Runx2 expression (day 7) compared with the pellets with GF / (Sutherland, Beck et al. 2015)
human articularchondrocytes and BMSCs / prepared from shattered and decellularized porcine menisci using lyophilization technique
TGFβ3 / in vitro: The scaffolds were kept in cell suspension and cultured for 1-4 weeks.
Biochemical analyses for collagen and GAGs, histology / in vitro:
(2-4 weeks)
DNA content of the recellularized ECM increased over time. Human chondrocytes showed enhanced synthesis of type II collagen and GAG; the ECM supported chondrogenesis of BMSCs / (Chen, Chen et al. 2015)
human BMSCs / decellularizedECM scaffold prepared from shattered and freeze-dyed equine articular cartilage, crosslinked by UV
TGFβ2 / in vivo: enchondral chondrogenesis was tested. The BMSC-seeded samples were for 5 weeks chondrogenical-ly induced, before implanted subcutaneously into immuno-deficient rats.
(immuno-) histology / in vivo: (8 weeks) bone formation, type I collagen expression.
The extent of mineralization was significantly higher in the BMSC-seeded constructs versus unseeded controls. / (Gawlitta, Benders et al. 2015)
human BMSCs / human and bovine ear cartilage
FGF2, TGFβ1 / in vitro: BMSCs were seeded on the scaffolds by rotation in a tube rotator, histology, gene expression, biomechanics / in vitro: (3 weeks) the majority of the seeded cells remained viable and were able to differentiate toward the chondrogenic lineage / (Utomo, Pleumeekers et al. 2015)
AD-MSCs,
labelled / rabbit tracheal
cartilage
GF: N/A / in vivo:
rabbit trachea defect model
histopathology / in vivo:
(4-12 weeks)
Integration, superior survival in rabbits which received tracheal ECM reseeded with ADMSCs compared to cell-free ECM group
Labelled MSCs were still detectable / (Batioglu-Karaaltin, Karaaltin et al. 2015)
rabbit BMSCs / bovine articular car-tilage, was sliced pow-dered and underwent TIPS technique for aligned pore formation, cross-linked
TGFβ3 / in vitro:
viability, cell distribution
in vivo:
rabbit joint cartilage repair model,
histology / in vitro:
around 95% viability and even cell distribution
in vivo:
(6-12 weeks)
histological and biomechanical quality of repair tissue was superior in aligned scaffolds compared with controls / (Jia, Zhang et al. 2015)
human naso- septal chondro-cytes / decellularized porcine naso- septal cartilage
growth medium (Miltenyi), which is supplemented with GF) / in vitro: immuno-histology, GAGs, aggrecan, versican, type I, II collagens / in vitro: (2-6 weeks) ECM retrieves stability and allowed cell adhesion, migration and neosynthesis of type II collagen, aggrecan and GAGs, whereas type I collagen and versican decreased / (Schwarz, Elsaesser et al. 2015)
Human
BMSCs / prepared from porcine articular cartilage lyophilized, pulverized, decellularized before unidirectional freezed, cross-linked
bFGF, TGFβ3 / in vitro:
tested for scaffold contraction, cell viability, cartilage marker expression / in vitro: (4 weeks)
type II, I but no type X collagen, GAGs
suggesting chondrogenesis / (Rowland, Colucci et al. 2016)
rat BMSCs / goat cartilage ECM derived particles (sliced, pulverized, decellularized)
without GF / in vitro:
GFP labelled
in vivo: rat trochlear defect model, (immuno-) histology, gait analysis, biomechnical tests / in vitro: (3 weeks)
viable, chondrogenesis
in vivo:
defect repair, superior biomechanics compared with controls / (Yin, Wang et al. 2016)

ADMSCs, adipose tissue-derived stem cells; BMSCs, bone marrow–derived stem cells; bFGF-2, basic fibroblast growth factor-2; GAG, glycosaminoglycan; N/A, not available; EGF: epidermal growth factor; TGF: transforming growth factor; GF: growth factor, TIPS: Thermally Induced Phase Separation.