Mechano-Hypoxia Conditioning of Engineered Human Meniscus

This study evaluated mechano-hypoxia conditioning as a strategy to enhance development of engineered human meniscus fibrocartilage. Meniscus fibrochondrocytes seeded onto collagen scaffolds were subjected to combinations of hypoxia and mechanical loading, including cyclic hydrostatic pressure and dynamic compression. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that hypoxia and mechanical loading regulated thousands of genes in largely additive manners, with combined treatment enhancing fibrocartilage-related gene expression while suppressing hypertrophic markers. Long-term mechano-hypoxia conditioning increased dynamic compressive modulus up to five-fold, demonstrating that appropriately applied mechanical and oxygen cues can promote functional property development in engineered meniscus tissue.