{"title":"Up IGF-I via high-toughness adaptive hydrogels for remodeling growth plate of children.","authors":"Zhiqiang Zhang, Haodong Li, Manning Qian, Yiming Zheng, Luhan Bao, Wenguo Cui, Dahui Wang","doi":"10.1093/rb/rbaf004","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growth plate is crucial for skeletal growth in children, but research on repairing growth plate damage and restoring growth is limited. Here, a high-toughness adaptive dual-crosslinked hydrogel is designed to mimic the growth plate's structure, supporting regeneration and bone growth. Composed of aldehyde-modified bacterial cellulose (DBNC), methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and sodium alginate (Alg), the hydrogel is engineered through ionic bonding and Schiff base reactions, creating a macroporous structure. This structure can transform into a denser form by binding with calcium ions. <i>In vitro</i>, the loose macroporous structure of the hydrogels can promote chondrogenic differentiation, and when it forms a dense structure by binding with calcium ions, it also can activate relevant chondrogenic signaling pathways under the influence of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1), further inhibiting osteogenesis. <i>In vivo</i> experiments in a rat model of growth plate injury demonstrated that the hydrogel promoted growth plate cartilage regeneration and minimized bone bridge formation by creating a hypoxic microenvironment that activates IGF-1-related pathways. This environment encourages chondrogenic differentiation while preventing the undesired formation of bone tissue within the growth plate area. Overall, the dual-crosslinked hydrogel not only mimics the growth plate's structure but also facilitates localized IGF-1 expression, effectively reshaping the growth plate's function. This approach represents a promising therapeutic strategy for treating growth plate injuries, potentially addressing challenges associated with skeletal growth restoration in pediatric patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":20929,"journal":{"name":"Regenerative Biomaterials","volume":"12 ","pages":"rbaf004"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11897792/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Regenerative Biomaterials","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/rb/rbaf004","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, BIOMATERIALS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The growth plate is crucial for skeletal growth in children, but research on repairing growth plate damage and restoring growth is limited. Here, a high-toughness adaptive dual-crosslinked hydrogel is designed to mimic the growth plate's structure, supporting regeneration and bone growth. Composed of aldehyde-modified bacterial cellulose (DBNC), methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and sodium alginate (Alg), the hydrogel is engineered through ionic bonding and Schiff base reactions, creating a macroporous structure. This structure can transform into a denser form by binding with calcium ions. In vitro, the loose macroporous structure of the hydrogels can promote chondrogenic differentiation, and when it forms a dense structure by binding with calcium ions, it also can activate relevant chondrogenic signaling pathways under the influence of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1), further inhibiting osteogenesis. In vivo experiments in a rat model of growth plate injury demonstrated that the hydrogel promoted growth plate cartilage regeneration and minimized bone bridge formation by creating a hypoxic microenvironment that activates IGF-1-related pathways. This environment encourages chondrogenic differentiation while preventing the undesired formation of bone tissue within the growth plate area. Overall, the dual-crosslinked hydrogel not only mimics the growth plate's structure but also facilitates localized IGF-1 expression, effectively reshaping the growth plate's function. This approach represents a promising therapeutic strategy for treating growth plate injuries, potentially addressing challenges associated with skeletal growth restoration in pediatric patients.
期刊介绍:
Regenerative Biomaterials is an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal publishing the latest advances in biomaterials and regenerative medicine. The journal provides a forum for the publication of original research papers, reviews, clinical case reports, and commentaries on the topics relevant to the development of advanced regenerative biomaterials concerning novel regenerative technologies and therapeutic approaches for the regeneration and repair of damaged tissues and organs. The interactions of biomaterials with cells and tissue, especially with stem cells, will be of particular focus.