MINI REVIEW article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Innovations in Collagen-Network Remodeling and Extracellular Matrix Mechanics: Toward a New Era in Articular Cartilage Repair
Provisionally accepted
- 1Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- 2Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
- 3The 903rd Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Hangzhou, China
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Articular cartilage is a highly specialized connective tissue with a hierarchically organized extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides the mechanical resilience necessary for joint function. Central to this functionality is the depth-dependent architecture of collagen—primarily type II—interwoven with proteoglycans, enabling efficient resistance to compressive and shear stresses. This review synthesizes recent advances in ECM dynamics, emphasizing the interplay between collagen organization, viscoelastic microenvironments, and pericellular-matrix (PCM)–mediated mechanotransduction. Emerging evidence implicates type III collagen as a regulator of early cartilage remodeling and a putative biomarker of osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Additionally, we highlight cutting-edge studies on the synergistic effects of mechanical loading and enzymatic degradation on collagen integrity, providing novel insights into ECM deterioration in disease contexts. We evaluate next-generation biomaterials—including viscoelastic hydrogels, anisotropic scaffolds, and magnetic field–assisted fiber alignment—designed to recapitulate the native anisotropy and multiscale mechanics of cartilage. Together, these recent developments redefine the landscape of cartilage repair and delineate promising avenues for translational regenerative therapies.
Keywords: articular cartilage, Collagen fiber organization, Extracellular matrix dynamics, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Osteoarthritis, Viscoelastic properties
Received: 07 Nov 2025; Accepted: 15 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Huang, Hong and Cai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kai Huang
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.