Advancing osteoarthritis therapy with GMOCS hydrogel-loaded BMSCs-exos

Abstract

This study investigated the mechanism of the extracellular matrix-mimicking hydrogel-mediated TGFB1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in osteoarthritis using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (BMSCs-Exos). A GMOCS-Exos hydrogel was synthesized and evaluated for its impact on chondrocyte viability and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation. In an OA rat model, GMOCS-Exos promoted cartilage regeneration and inhibited NETs formation. Transcriptome sequencing identified TGFB1 as a key gene, with GMOCS-Exos activating Nrf2 signaling through TGFB1. Depletion of TGFB1 hindered the cartilage-protective effect of GMOCS-Exos. This study sheds light on a promising therapeutic strategy for osteoarthritis through GMOCS-Exos-mediated TGFB1/Nrf2 pathway modulation.