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Articular cartilage is a highly specialized tissue whose remarkable properties of deformability, resistance to mechanical loading, and low-friction gliding are essential to joint function. Due to its role as a cushion in bone articulation, articular cartilage is subject to many types of damaging insults, including decades of wear and tear, and acute joint injuries. However, this built-for-life tissue has a very poor intrinsic ability in adulthood to durably heal defects created by damaging insults. Consequently, articular cartilage progressively deteriorates and is eventually eroded, exposing the subchondral bone to the joint space, triggering inflammation and osteophyte development, and generating severe pain and joint incapacitation. The disease is called osteoarthritis (OA) and is today the leading cause of pain and disability in the human population. Researchers and clinicians have worked for decades to develop strategies to …