Lubricin-localized cartilage-like tissue, method for producing same and composition comprising same for treating articular cartilage damage

Lubricin localized cartilage-like tissue that has been induced from pluripotent stem cells, wherein:

• lubricin has been expressed in the cartilage-like tissue;
• a ratio of the lubricin expression level per unit area contained in a planar “central region” of the tissue (“central lubricin level”) and the lubricin expression level per unit area contained in a planar “non-central region” outside of the central region (“non-central lubricin level”) is as follows:
• non-central lubricin level/central lubricin level>1;
• and
• the central region and non-central region of the tissue are determined as follows:
• in an arbitrary cross-section running through (i) a first center of gravity of the cartilage-like tissue;
• or (ii) a concentric sphere centered on the first center of gravity and having a diameter that is the maximum diameter of the cartilage-like tissue (“first maximum diameter”)×0.2,
• the central region is the region inside of a concentric circle of the arbitrary cross-section and centered on a second center of gravity, the concentric circle having a diameter that is the maximum diameter of the cross-section (“second maximum diameter”)×0.4 to 0.9,
• the second center of gravity being the same as the first center of gravity when the arbitrary cross-section runs through the first center of gravity, and
• the non-central region is the area of the arbitrary cross section outside the central region.