Bilayered Scaffold Prepared from a Kartogenin-Loaded Hydrogel and BMP-2-Derived Peptide-Loaded Porous Nanofibrous Scaffold for Osteochondral Defect Repair

Recently, a bilayered scaffold with an anisotropic structure mimicking a native osteochondral tissue shows considerable potential for treating osteochondral defects. Herein, a bilayered scaffold consisting of biomimetic cartilage and a subchondral bone architecture was constructed for repairing osteochondral defect. A hydrogel prepared by the Schiff base reaction of gelatin, silk fibroin, and oxidized dextran was designed as the cartilage layer, while a nanofibrous scaffold with a macroporous structure prepared from the polymer blend of poly(l-lactic acid)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/poly(ε-caprolactone) using the dual phase separation technique served as a subchondral layer. The subchondral layer was then treated with polydopamine coating for osteogenic factor immobilization. To facilitate the chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on the bilayered scaffold, the cartilage-inducing drug kartogenin (KGN) and osteogenic-inducing factor bone morphogenetic protein 2-derived peptides (P24 peptides) were, respectively, loaded on the subchondral layer. Next, the in vitro release of KGN and P24 peptide from the corresponding layer was monitored, respectively, and the results showed that both the release time of KGN and P24 peptides would last for more than 28 days. The in vitro results indicated that the KGN-loaded cartilage layer and P24 peptides-loaded subchondral layer were capable of supporting cell proliferation, and induced the chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation, respectively. Furthermore, the in vivo experiments suggested that the bilayered scaffold significantly accelerated the regeneration of the osteochondral tissue in the rabbit knee joint model. Consequently, this bilayered scaffold loaded with KGN and P24 peptides would be a promising candidate for repairing osteochondral defect.