Use of autologous mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue for the treatment of hyaline cartilage defects in laboratory animals: a literature review

BACKGROUND: Degenerative/dystrophic cartilage diseases are an epidemiologically important challenge in modern traumatology and orthopedics. The use of autologous mesenchymal stem cells to repair cartilage defects is currently the most promising treatment option. AIM: The aim of this paper was to review the literature on the use of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells to repair articular cartilage defects in laboratory animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Recent and historical Russian and English literature was searched in Google Scholar, Cyberleninka, PubMed, eLibrary, Mendeley, Science Direct databases for over 20 years. A total of 113 papers were selected, and 25 papers that met the inclusion criteria were selected based on full-text materials and abstracts. RESULTS: Literature shows that autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells stimulate hyaline cartilage regeneration. The vast majority of studies show that the addition of both differentiated and undifferentiated cells accelerates cartilage repair, regardless of the composition of the vehicle matrix or gel. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells can also be used as a stand-alone technology without any vehicles. CONCLUSIONS: There is still no ideal graft to restore cartilage tissue, despite a wide range of technologies, surgical techniques and materials for repairing cartilage defects. However, mesenchymal stem cells improve the rate of defect repair and may become a new therapeutic strategy for degenerative/dystrophic cartilage diseases.