Biodistribution of extracellular vesicles between chondral and synovial tissue constructs in a microfluidic organ-on-chip system

How could extracellular vesicles - potential signal carriers of regeneration - contribute to healing processes in the context of osteoarthritis? This disease affects primarily the elderly proportion of society and the prevalence is expected to increase due to ageing. Therefore, social welfare institutions will face substantial financial burden caused by joint replacement surgeries as last resort treatment and patients as well as caring relatives will suffer substantial decrease in quality of life. However, extracellular vesicle therapies are increasingly investigated in regenerative medicine and clinicians long for treatment options to avoid surgeries. Nevertheless, it is still unknown where EVs end up after injection into affected body parts and which cells are treated, for example chondrocytes or synovial cells in the context of osteoarthritis. Essential question need to be answered, such as which route EVs take after injection or which are the primary target cells? Answers on these questions will potentially shift the paradigm of understanding of osteoarthritis and transform views on how to treat affected joints and change perceptions about the primary goal of treatment in osteoarthritis to prevent joint replacement surgeries, achieve regeneration rather than symptomatic relief and restore the quality of life of patients in the long run.