The purpose of this study was to investigate the repair of the osteoarthritis(OA)-induced cartilage injury by transfecting the new TGF-β3 fusion protein(LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3) with targeted therapy function into the bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) in rats. The recombinant of pIRES-EGFP-MMP was constructed by combination of DNA encoding MMP enzyme cutting site and eukaryotic expression vector pIRES-EGFP. LAP and mTGF-β3 fragments were obtained from rat embryos by RT-PCR and inserted into the upstream and downstream of MMP from pIRES-EGFP-MMP respectively, so as to construct the recombinant plasmid of pIRES-EGFP-LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3. pIRESEGFP-LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 was transfected into rat MSCs. The genetically modified MSCs were cultured in medium with MMP-1 or not. The transfected MSCs were transplanted in the rat OA models.The OA animal models were surgically induced by anterior cruciate ligament transaction(ACLT). The pathological changes were observed under a microscope by HE staining, Alcian blue, Safranin-fast Green and graded by Mankin's scale. pIRES-EGFP-LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 was successfully constructed by means of enzyme cutting and sequencing, and the mTGF-β3 fusion protein(39 kD) was certified by Western blotting. Those genetically modified MSCs could differentiate into chondrocytes induced by MMP and secrete the relevant-matrix. The transfected MSCs could promote chondrogenesis and matrix production in rat OA models in vivo. It was concluded that a new fusion protein LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 was constructed successfully by gene engineering, and could be used to repair the OA-induced cartilage injury.
A new type of TGF-β3 fusion protein with targeted therapy function was constructed,and its feasibility and target specificity of inducing chondrogenesis were investigated by transfecting LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 gene into adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs).The recombinant pIRESEGFP-MMP was constructed by inserting the sense and antisense DNA of encoding the amino acid of the synthetic MMP enzyme cutting site into the eukaryotic expression vector pIRES-EGFP.LAP and mTGF-β3 fragments were obtained by using RT-PCR and inserted into the upstream and downstream of MMP from pIRES-EGFP-MMP respectively,and the recombinant plasmid of pIRES-EGFPLAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 was constructed,which was transferred to ADSCs.The ADSCs were cultured and divided in three groups:experimental group (MMP group),negative control group (no MMP) and non-transfection group.The morphological changes were observed microscopically,and the expression of proteoglycan and type Ⅱ collagen (ColⅡ) was detected by using Alcian blue staining and immunohistochemistry staining at 7th,14th and 21st day after culture.The recombinant plasmid of pIRES-EGFP-LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 was correctly constructed by methods of enzyme cutting and sequencing analysis.The mTGF-β3 fusion protein was successfully expressed after transfection,and in the presence of the MMP,active protein mTGF-β3 was generated,which significantly promoted differentiation of ADSCs into chondrocytes and the expression of cartilage matrix.The novel fusion protein LAP-MMP-mTGF-β3 can targetedly induce differentiation of ADSCs into chondrocytes,which would open up prospects for target therapy of cartilage damage repair in future.
