Human platelet lysate (HPL) has emerged as a promising alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS) for the in vitro expansion of chondrocytes. Compared to FBS, HPL offers several key advantages: it is safer for clinical applications under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) conditions, as it eliminates the risk of animal pathogen transmission and the presence of xenogeneic proteins that may trigger immune responses. Moreover, HPL is cost-effective and, like FBS, contains abundant biological factors essential for chondrocyte survival and proliferation in vitro.
Notably, HPL has been shown to outperform FBS in promoting chondrocyte proliferation. However, variations in its ability to preserve the chondrocytic phenotype—by reducing dedifferentiation and enhancing redifferentiation capacity—are likely due to differences in HPL preparation methods. Therefore, further research is warranted to establish a standardized HPL production process that can consistently maintain chondrocyte chondrogenic potential.
This review also provides an overview of cartilage anatomy and physiology, the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA), and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), with particular emphasis on the in vitro expansion of chondrocytes using FBS and HPL.
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