Engineering gene-activated bioprinted scaffolds for enhancing articular cartilage repair

Abstract Untreated articular cartilage injuries often result in severe chronic pain and dyskinesia. Current repair strategies have limitations in effectively promoting articular cartilage repair, underscoring the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. A gene-activated matrix (GAM) is a promising and comprehensive therapeutic strategy that integrates tissue-engineered scaffold-guided gene therapy to promote long-term articular cartilage repair by enhancing gene retention, reducing gene loss, and regulating gene release. However, for effective articular cartilage repair, the GAM scaffold must mimic the complex gradient structure