Conditioned medium as a strategy for human stem cells chondrogenic differentiation

M. Alves da Silva would like to acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; Grant No. SFRH/BD/28708/2006). The authors would like to acknowledge the patients of Hospital de S. Marcos, Braga, Portugal, for donation of biological samples, as well as the medical and nursing staff. The authors would also like to thank the Institute for Health and Life Sciences (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, for allowing the use of their research facilities; to Luis Martins for his valuable help with the histological procedures; and Goreti Pinto for aid with microscopy. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013; Grant No. REGPOT-CT2012-316331-POLARIS).