Study of the effects of hybrid nanοgels on cartilage οrganοids against equine osteoarthritis
Résumé
Articular cartilage is composed of one main cell type, the chondrocytes, which synthesize an abundant extracellular matrix rich in type II collagen and aggrecan. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the world's most debilitating disease, affecting humans as well as horses (Manivong et al., 2023). OA is a disease of the whole joint, notably characterized by articular cartilage complete destruction, resulting in severe pain. To date, there is a lack of curative treatment for OA. Humans and horses share similarities in the structure of articular cartilage and the pathophysiology of OA. Thus, the breakthrough in the treatment of equine OA can be transposed to humans. Interestingly, previous studies have showed that functionalized nanogels with endothelin-1 and bradykinin receptor antagonists can decrease cartilage degradation and inflammation markers (Cullier et al., 2022). Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the in vitro biocompatibility and effectiveness of a lubricating and bioadhesive hybrid hydrogels to deliver drugs into the joint cavity to avoid OA outcomes. To reach this goal, we used an equine organoid model of cartilage derived from mesenchymal stem cells (Branly et al., 2017). We performed apoptosis and proliferation assays to assess the biocompatibility of the platform. Then we analysed protein level of various biomarkers using Western blotting, staining, and immunohistochemistry techniques. Preliminary results attest the biocompatibility of the platform and show an increase of type II collagen, but also of the atypical type I collagen. The upcoming research will involve additional experiments, and will focus on evaluating the effect of this formulation in a dynamic culture model of organoids.