Injectable Biomimetic Composite Hydrogel Scaffold With Tissue‐Engineered Cartilage Matrix for Articular Cartilage Regeneration

ABSTRACT Articular cartilage regeneration remains a significant challenge because of its limited intrinsic healing capacity and the inadequacy of conventional treatments for restoring structural and functional integrity. In this study, a novel injectable composite hydrogel scaffold was designed to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) of native cartilage. The scaffold combines hyaluronic acid methacrylate (HAMA), chondroitin sulfate methacrylate (CSMA), and decellularized cartilage matrix (dCM) enriched with Type II collagen (COL II). This biomimetic scaffold exhibited excellent injectability, rapid UV‐induced cross‐linking, and favorable mechanical properties. Biological assessments demonstrated that the scaffold effectively enhanced chondrocyte proliferation, phenotypic maintenance, and ECM synthesis, with a remarkable over 10‐fold upregulation of COL II gene expression. Additionally, studies have further confirmed the superior capability of the scaffold to facilitate hyaline cartilage regeneration in vivo, with the regenerated tissue closely mimicking the mechanical and histological characteristics of native cartilage. This study provides an innovative biomimetic approach for cartilage regeneration and repair, offering potential as a minimally invasive strategy for cartilage repair in tissue engineering.