In osteoarthritis (OA), degradation of cartilage pericellular matrix (PCM), the proteoglycan-rich immediate cell microniche, is a leading event of disease initiation. This study demonstrated that biomimetic proteoglycans (BPGs) can diffuse into human cartilage from both normal and osteoarthritic donors and are preferentially localized within the PCM. Applying immunofluorescence (IF)-guided AFM nanomechanical mapping, we show that this localization of BPGs increases the PCM micromodulus of both normal and OA specimens. These results illustrate the capability of BPGs to integrate with degenerative tissues and support the translational potential of BPGs for treating human OA and other diseases associated with proteoglycan degradation.
Keywords: IF-guided AFM; biomimetic proteoglycan; molecular engineering; osteoarthritis; pericellular matrix.