Characterization of a migrative subpopulation of adult human nasoseptal chondrocytes with progenitor cell features and their potential for in vivo cartilage regeneration strategies

Abstract

Cells of the migrative subpopulation, due to their migratory characteristics, are a potential cell source for in vivo regeneration of nasal cartilage. The in vivo mobilization of nasal cartilage progenitor cells is envisioned to be the basis for in situ tissue engineering procedures, aiming at the use of unseeded biomaterials which are able to recruit local progenitor cells for cartilage regeneration.