The role of laminins in cartilaginous tissues: from development to regeneration

In this review, the authors facilitate an understanding of the spatial and temporal interactions between cartilage-forming cells and laminin microenvironment to eventually advance cell-based cartilage engineering and regeneration. The expression of laminins in various developmental stages of cartilage and cartilage-like tissues, including developing, adult and pathological cartilage is being discussed. They delineated the expression of laminins in hyaline cartilage, fibrocartilage and cartilage-like tissue (nucleus pulposus) throughout several developmental stages. They also examined the effect of laminins on the biological activities of chondrocytes, including adhesion, migration, and survival. Furthermore, the potential influence of various laminin isoforms on cartilage-forming cells’ proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation was scrutinized.