Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39706287›Full record

ArticleOsteoarthritis and cartilage2025

A programmable arthritis-specific receptor for guided articular cartilage regenerative medicine.

Bonnie L Walton, Rebecca Shattuck-Brandt, Catherine A Hamann, Victoria W Tung, Juan M Colazo, David D Brand, Karen A Hasty, Craig L Duvall, Jonathan M Brunger

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Osteoarthritis and cartilage, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Role of Notch signaling pathway in joint homeostasis and osteoarthritis.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Bonnie L WaltonDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
Rebecca Shattuck-BrandtDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
Catherine A HamannDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
Victoria W TungDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
Juan M ColazoDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
David D BrandResearch Service, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
Karen A HastyDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
Craig L DuvallDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; Center for Bone Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
Jonathan M BrungerDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; Center for Bone Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA. Electronic address: jonathan.m.brunger@vanderbilt.edu.

Funding

Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment Research ProgramP30CA068485 · NCI · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI Ben Ho Park · 1995 to 2026
$172.8M
Translational Analysis CoreP30DK058404 · NIDDK · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI MARY Kay WASHINGTON · 2002 to 2026
$29.9M
Programmed cells for targeted articular regenerative medicineR21AR079683 · NIAMS · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · PI BRUNGER, JONATHAN MATTHEW · 2021 to 2022
$374k
BLRD VA I01 BX005195NCI NIH HHS P30 CA068485NIAMS NIH HHS R21 AR079683NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK058404
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveInvestigational cell therapies have been developed as disease-modifying agents for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), including those that inducibly respond to inflammatory factors driving OA progression. However, dysregulated inflammatory cascades do not specifically signify the presence of OA. Here, we deploy a synthetic receptor platform that regulates cell behaviors in an arthritis-specific fashion to confine transgene expression to sites of cartilage degeneration.

designA single-chain variable fragment specific for type II collagen (CII) that is exposed in damaged cartilage was used to produce a synthetic Notch (synNotch) receptor that enables "CII-synNotch" mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to recognize degraded cartilage. Artificial signaling induced by both CII-treated culture surfaces and primary tissues was measured via fluorescence and luminescence assays. Separate studies measured the ability of CII-synNotch to govern cartilage anabolic activity of MSCs. Finally, a co-culture with ATDC5 chondrocytes was used to determine whether CII-synNotch MSCs can protect chondrocytes against deleterious effects of pro-inflammatory interleukin-1 in a CII-dependent manner.

resultsCII-synNotch MSCs are highly and selectively responsive to CII, but not type I collagen, as measured by luminescence assays, fluorescence microscopy, and concentrations of secreted transgene products in culture media. CII-synNotch cells exhibit the capacity to distinguish between healthy and damaged cartilage tissue and constrain transgene expression to regions of exposed CII fibers. Receptor-regulated production of cartilage anabolic and anti-inflammatory transgenes was effective to mediate cartilage regenerative functions.

conclusionThis work demonstrates proof-of-concept that the synNotch platform guides MSCs for spatially regulated, disease-dependent delivery of OA-relevant biologic drugs.

Indexed as

Cartilage, ArticularMesenchymal Stem CellsOsteoarthritisReceptors, NotchRegenerative MedicineAnimalsCells, CulturedChondrocytesCoculture TechniquesCollagen Type IIHumansMiceCollagen Type IIReceptors, NotchCell therapyOsteoarthritisSynNotchSynthetic biology

Identifiers

PMID39706287
PMCPMC12019866

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.