Database Center for Life Science [creativecommons license] via Wikimedia CommonsArthritis affects millions of people worldwide, causing pain and stiffness in joints. In some cases, arthritis develops after the cartilage in a joint is damaged. Cartilage acts to cushion the joints, allowing for smooth movement. Because cartilage cannot repair itself after injury, tissue engineers have attempted to generate new cartilage that could be transplanted into a damaged joint to repair it before arthritis can set in. However, it has proven difficult to create engineered cartilage with biomechanical properties similar to those of native cartilage.
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