Figure 2.
Sequence of events from stem cell isolation to engineered scaffold implantation. The first step is the isolation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) from bone marrow (BM) or adipose tissue (AT) and ex vivo expansion. This step is followed by the second and third steps of MSC differentiation towards chondrocytes by the addition of morphogenic factors and inclusion into a scaffold, preferentially an injectable biomaterial that allows an easy and minimally invasive injection of bioengineered scaffold into the cartilage defect as shown in step 4. Illustration with permission from Servier (http://www.servier.fr/smart/TermsOfUse.asp )