Platelet-Rich Plasma Enhances Adhesion and Short-Term Retention of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells to Articular Cartilage.

Abstract

Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) adhesion and retention at sites of cartilage degeneration are critical for improving cartilage repair. This study investigated whether platelet-rich plasma (PRP) enhances the adhesion and short-term retention of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) and chondrocytes under in vitro and ex vivo conditions. BM-MSCs and chondrocytes were treated with PRP or pretreated with PRP for 10 or 30 min, and cell adhesion to collagen-coated surfaces was evaluated using a cell viability assay. Ex vivo adhesion and short-term retention of BM-MSCs on osteochondral discs with varying lesion severity were assessed by fluorescence imaging analysis. PRP significantly enhanced the adhesion of both BM-MSCs and chondrocytes in a time-dependent manner, with the 30 min PRP pretreatment group showing the greatest effect. BM-MSC attachment in the 30 min PRP pretreatment group was significantly higher than that in the untreated control group after 30 min of incubation (p < 0.001), whereas chondrocyte attachment was also significantly increased following PRP pretreatment. In addition, PRP pretreatment significantly enhanced BM-MSC attachment compared with PRP treatment alone at 20 and 30 min of incubation (both p < 0.001). In ex vivo experiments, adhesion and short-term retention increased significantly with increasing lesion severity from G1 to G3 (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). In G2 and G3 lesions, PRP pretreatment for 30 min significantly enhanced BM-MSC adhesion and short-term retention compared with the control group (both p < 0.01). These findings suggest that PRP may improve the early adhesion and retention of MSCs on damaged cartilage and support the potential use of PRP as a biological adjunct for MSC-based cartilage repair strategies.