Combination of an appropriate cell source and scaffold-based or scaffold-free approaches can be used for fabrication of a TMJ disc construct (upper panels). Via the application of various biochemical and mechanical stimuli, an enhanced, biomimetic construct can be tissue-engineered (lower panels). ACs – hyaline articular chondrocytes, MSCs – mesenchymal stem cells, MCs – knee meniscus cells, LBL – layer-by-layer, 3D – three-dimensional, C-ABC – chondroitinase ABC, LOXL2 – lysyl oxidase-like 2, TGF-β – transforming growth factor beta.