In Vitro Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells by Diacerein

Background: Tissue engineering is the application system that tries to restore damaged tissues by different approaches, such as cellular therapy, application of cell differential factors, and various materials. One of the important goals in tissue engineering is to guide stem cells directly to the desired tissue, and researchers tried to utilize different molecules as effective factors to improve this technique. Objectives: This study aims to demonstrate the effects of diacerein, a slow-acting drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis, on mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and evaluate its potential in the chondrogenesis process. Methods: Stem cells were isolated from adipose tissue, characterized by flow cytometry, and cells were treated with 10-5M diacerein for three weeks. Chondrogenic gene expression of SOX9, COL2A1, ACAN, and TGFB1 were analyzed by qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry techniques. Results: Our results showed that diacerein increased the expression of the following genes involved in chondrogenesis: SOX9 (2.9-fold, P < 0.00), COL2A1 (2.2-fold, P < 0.00), ACAN (2.7-fold, P < 0.00), and TGFB1 (2.6-fold, P < 0.00). Immunocytochemistry results also showed increased production of collagen type II as the main protein marker for chondrocytes. Conclusions: We observed that diacerein alone could initiate and enhance chondrogenesis, and it can be used as a differentiation factor for stem cells to chondrocyte besides its ability to inhibit IL-1 beta. Knowing the actual function of diacerein, it could be a good candidate for the treatment of osteoarthritis.