Matrix-Instructed Chondrogenesis: Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Organoids as Models for Cartilage Repair and Joint Disease

Cartilage has a limited capacity for self-repair, and the failure to replicate the native extracellular matrix (ECM) environment remains a central barrier to translating mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapies into clinical practice. Emerging evidence has repositioned the ECM not as a passive scaffold but as an active instructor of chondrogenic fate, shaping cell differentiation, tissue organisation, and functional cartilage formation from the ground up.This Research Topic focuses on how ECM cues direct MSC chondrogenesis, with particular emphasis on organoid and tissue-engineered platforms that recapitulate key features of the joint microenvironment. We welcome original research and review articles addressing:Self-generated and engineered ECM systems as drivers of chondrogenic commitmentMSC-derived cartilage organoids: assembly, maturation, and quality benchmarkingIn vitro and ex vivo models of post-traumatic and osteoarthritic joint diseaseMolecular and biomarker signatures of chondrocyte fate decisionsTranslational approaches to cartilage repair, including scaffold design and cell-based delivery strategiesBy connecting mechanistic biology with tractable disease models, this Research Topic aims to accelerate the development of cartilage repair strategies that are both biologically faithful and clinically relevant. Topic editors: Jiangyinzi Shang, Fenyong Yao, Meixin Li, Yingchang Ma Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84520/matrix-instructed-chondrogenesis-mesenchymal-stromal-cell-organoids-as-models-for-cartilage-repair-and-joint-disease