Comparative Analysis of Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells and Their Secretome for Auricular Cartilage Regeneration

Figure 4

Histopathological features of auricular cartilage defects at 4 (a–c) and 8 (d–f) weeks after adipose-derived stromal cell (ADSC) injection. Chondroblasts and cartilage-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) were evident in the ADSC group (a). ECM was deposited in the secretome group (b), and fibrous tissue formation was apparent in the PBS group (c). Typical cartilaginous features (chondrocytes, chondroblasts, and cartilage-specific ECM (arrow)) were observed in the ADSC group (d). Small numbers of chondroblasts and a little collagenous tissue were evident at the defect edges of the secretome (e) and PBS groups (f), respectively. The sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (magnification 200x).

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