Acute and chronic tendon injuries(i.e.tendinopathy) are common,yet current treatments cannot restore normal structure and function to injured tendons.This problem mainly stems from our incomplete understanding of tend...Acute and chronic tendon injuries(i.e.tendinopathy) are common,yet current treatments cannot restore normal structure and function to injured tendons.This problem mainly stems from our incomplete understanding of tendon cell properties and responses to biomechanical and biochemical environments surrounding the cells.However,significant progress has been made in recent years on two fronts.The first is the new discovery that tendons contain a population of multi-potent tendon stem cells(TSCs).The second is the wide application of platelet-rich plasma(PRP) in orthopaedics and sports medicine to treat injured tendons.This mini-review aims to discuss the studies on TSCs,with a focus on their differential properties with respect to tenocytes and their differential mechano-responses when subjected to small and large mechanical loading conditions.In light of the critical importance of the safety and efficacy of PRP treatment in clinic,basic scientific research related to PRP effects on TSCs,particularly on their differentiation,is also presented.Finally,the urgent need for rigorous basic scientific research to justify PRP applications in clinic settings is proposed.展开更多
基金the funding support from NIH grants AR049921,AR049921S1,and AR049921S2
文摘Acute and chronic tendon injuries(i.e.tendinopathy) are common,yet current treatments cannot restore normal structure and function to injured tendons.This problem mainly stems from our incomplete understanding of tendon cell properties and responses to biomechanical and biochemical environments surrounding the cells.However,significant progress has been made in recent years on two fronts.The first is the new discovery that tendons contain a population of multi-potent tendon stem cells(TSCs).The second is the wide application of platelet-rich plasma(PRP) in orthopaedics and sports medicine to treat injured tendons.This mini-review aims to discuss the studies on TSCs,with a focus on their differential properties with respect to tenocytes and their differential mechano-responses when subjected to small and large mechanical loading conditions.In light of the critical importance of the safety and efficacy of PRP treatment in clinic,basic scientific research related to PRP effects on TSCs,particularly on their differentiation,is also presented.Finally,the urgent need for rigorous basic scientific research to justify PRP applications in clinic settings is proposed.
