Figure 1.

Overview of the inflammation pathways in cartilage injuries and schematic of the methodology used. A) Illustration of the NF‐κB pathway in the injured joint. Activation of the pathway by IL‐1β, TNFα, and LPS or DAMPS leads to phosphorylation of NF‐κB inhibitory protein (IKKα/β) and NF‐κB translocation to the nucleus, that activates the transcription of proinflammatory genes as IL‐1β and IL‐6 and matrix remodeling enzymes as MMP‐13 and ADAMTS‐5. B) Schematic of our methodology. Chondrocytes are collected by corrective surgeries; TAK1 KO is generated by a single‐step electroporation and can be then encapsulated into a hydrogel for future cartilage defect treatments.