Acta Biomaterialia最新文献

{"title":"A self-supplying nitric oxide coating on Mg alloy for vascular stents promotes re-endothelialization","authors":"Zhaoqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Hongfei Zhang ,&nbsp;Rui Li ,&nbsp;Haoran Wu ,&nbsp;Shuguang Cao ,&nbsp;Liujie Qi ,&nbsp;Jingan Li ,&nbsp;Shaokang Guan","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mimicking the function of healthy endothelial cells (ECs) to catalyze NO release from endogenous donors represents an effective strategy for repairing the inevitable endothelial injury following stent implantation. However, insufficient levels of endogenous NO donors often limit catalytic NO generation, challenging the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis. To address this, a poly(thioctic acid)-arginine (TA-Arg) coating on a fluorinated magnesium (Mg) alloy for in-situ NO supply to address delayed endothelialization. The coating adhered firmly to the MgF₂ surface via hydrogen bonding, with TA and Arg connected through salt-bridge hydrogen bond interactions. The immobilized Arg acted as a precursor for NO synthesis, which was catalytically generated in situ by ECs via endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Meanwhile, TA served as an eNOS enhancer, boosting intracellular eNOS activity and facilitating the conversion of Arg to NO, enabling sustained and stable localized NO release. In vitro tests showed that the coating significantly decelerated Mg alloy degradation and exhibited high hemocompatibility with pronounced pro-endothelial potential. RNA-seq analyses further revealed that the coating promoted activation of NO-associated PI3K-Akt and MAPK pathways and activated the core antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2 (evidenced by the coordinated upregulation of HMOX1 and NQO1), while concurrently suppressing ferroptosis through genes such as SLC7A11 and FTH1. In vivo implantation confirmed reduced inflammation, enhanced endothelial repair, and inhibited hyperplasia, highlighting the dual role of NO release and antioxidative activity in promoting rapid endothelialization with good biosafety.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Magnesium (Mg) alloys hold significant promise as next-generation materials for cardiovascular stents owing to their complete biodegradability and excellent biocompatibility. However, their rapid degradation rate and delayed endothelialization remain major obstacles to clinical applications. To address these challenges, this study developed a nitric oxide (NO)-self-supplying poly(thioctic acid)-arginine (TA-Arg) coating on a fluorinated Mg alloy substrate. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that the TA-Arg sample not only markedly decelerated the degradation of the Mg alloy but also regulated vascular cell behavior, showing considerable potential to promote rapid endothelialization. Overall, this endogenous NO‑supplying strategy is highly straightforward, cost-effective, and scalable, offering a versatile and practical approach for surface modification to facilitate real-world applications of Mg-based stents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 624-636"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145574979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The application of 3D cell culture for melanoma in vitro models","authors":"Kailei Xu ,&nbsp;Jing Wu ,&nbsp;Zehuan Li ,&nbsp;Wenjie Chen ,&nbsp;Peng Wei ,&nbsp;Miaoben Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Melanoma remains a formidable clinical challenge due to its high metastatic potential and resistance to conventional therapies, in part reflecting the failure of two-dimensional (2D) culture systems to recapitulate the complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models have emerged as superior platforms over traditional 2D systems for recapitulating the complex TME of melanoma, including native extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture, cell-cell interactions, and biochemical gradients essential for accurate drug screening and mechanistic studies. In this review, we conducted a comprehensive literature survey to classify and critically evaluate melanoma 3D culture platforms into five categories, including melanoma spheroids, biomaterial-encapsulation cultures, melanoma skin equivalents, melanoma-on-chip, and bio-printed melanoma model, focusing on biomaterial composition, architectural fidelity, mechanical properties, and cellular integration, and systematically comparing their advantages and disadvantages. These models have advanced our understanding of melanoma progression, drug resistance mechanisms, cellular behavior, and they offer more reliable platforms for drug screening and development of personalized therapies. Although numerous challenges still need to be tackled, like the current biomaterials seldom replicate the distinct ECM of different skin layers and often neglect the incorporation of immune cells and adipocytes, emerging technologies hold promises for overcoming these challenges by enabling precise fabrication of tissue complexity, incorporation of vasculature, and integration of immune components. These innovations are poised to enhance the physiological relevance of melanoma models, ultimately facilitating the development of more effective treatments and improving patient outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Melanoma remains a formidable clinical challenge due to its high metastatic potential and resistance to conventional therapies. 3D cell culture models have emerged as superior platforms over traditional 2D systems for recapitulating the complex TME of melanoma. In this review, we classified melanoma 3D cell culture models into five categories, including melanoma spheroids, biomaterial-encapsulation cultures, melanoma skin equivalents, melanoma-on-chip, and bio-printed melanoma model, focusing on biomaterial composition, architectural fidelity, mechanical properties, and cellular integration, and systematically comparing their benefits and costs. In addition, we also highlighted the challenges of the development on melanoma 3D culture platforms for drug screening and mechanistic studies and discussed the future perspective on the development on melanoma 3D culture platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 148-166"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145590172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surface tension-driven persistence: How hydrogel interfacial properties regulate fibroblast directional migration","authors":"Sara Faour ,&nbsp;Cyrille Vézy ,&nbsp;Régis Déturche ,&nbsp;Stéphane Dedieu ,&nbsp;Jérome Sohier ,&nbsp;Rodolphe Jaffiol","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of viscoelastic biomaterials with tunable mechanical properties is a key issue in a wide range of applications in mechanobiology. While numerous foregoing works have revealed the impact of bulk matrix stiffness on cellular and multicellular responses, few have examined the effect of interfacial mechanical properties, such as surface tension <span><math><mi>σ</mi></math></span>. Owing to the elastocapillarity phenomenon, <span><math><mi>σ</mi></math></span> of soft materials can dominate their bulk mechanical properties and thus regulate cellular response. To address this complex issue of mechanotransduction largely overlooked in the literature, this study introduces a new polymer-based hydrogel that provides fine control of <span><math><mi>σ</mi></math></span>. This hydrogel is composed of short polyethylene glycol (PEG) elastic units, cross-linked with poly-L-lysine dendrigrafts (DGL). The stiffness and interfacial mechanical properties of this hydrogel are controlled by adjusting the DGL/PEG ratio and mechanically characterized with optical tweezers. This powerful optical technique enables active microrheology and surface micro-indentation to assess, with the same setup, elastic modulus and surface tension. To demonstrate the key impact of <span><math><mi>σ</mi></math></span> in mechanotransduction, 2D fibroblast migration experiments are conducted on fibronectin-coated hydrogels. Single-cell trajectories were tracked using epi-fluorescence imaging, and direction and speed autocorrelations were computed and analysed using the ”stick–slip” model. This study highlights, for the first time, that cells can adopt directional persistence migration when surface tension increases.</div><div>Statement of Significance: A hydrogel composed of PEG and poly-L-lysine dendrigraft has been developed to tune the surface tension of soft materials designed to mimic biological tissues. This interfacial mechanical property was successfully characterized using optical tweezers, after which the two-dimension directional persistent motion of fibroblasts was studied according to the surface tension of hydrogel.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 426-439"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145642938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineered extracellular vesicles as multifunctional therapeutics for restoring periodontal homeostasis","authors":"Junjie Shi ,&nbsp;Zongshuai Liu ,&nbsp;Jirong Xie ,&nbsp;Ze Zhao ,&nbsp;Xin Huang ,&nbsp;Zhengguo Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Periodontal homeostasis refers to the dynamic equilibrium between host defense, microbial control, and tissue remodeling in periodontal tissues. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the destruction of periodontal tissues, in which periodontal homeostasis is disturbed. Although many strategies have been developed, treatment of periodontitis and restoration of periodontal homeostasis remain challenging. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a potential cell-free platform for therapeutic applications due to their intrinsic capacity for intercellular communication and biocompatibility. With the advances in engineering, EVs can be functionally tailored to exhibit improved stability, targeting, and bioactivity, attracting increasing attention as regulators for periodontal homeostasis. Accumulating evidence indicates that engineered EVs exert diverse regulatory effects in the periodontal microenvironment, including anti-bacterial activity, anti-inflammatory properties, immunomodulation, antioxidant protection, regulation of programmed cell fate, and promotion of regeneration. Such multifunctional properties enable engineered EVs to address periodontal dysregulation and contribute to the stabilization of tissue homeostasis. This review highlights recent advances in the application of engineered EVs in periodontal research, summarizes their emerging therapeutic roles across these biological domains, and emphasizes their potential as versatile modulators for the maintenance and restoration of periodontal homeostasis.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>This review uniquely integrates recent progress in engineering extracellular vesicles (EVs) with biomaterial-based strategies to restore periodontal homeostasis, a perspective not comprehensively addressed in existing literature. By systematically analyzing approaches such as cargo and surface modification, scaffold incorporation, and artificial vesicle design, it highlights how engineered EVs overcome the limitations of native vesicles and achieve multifunctional regulation of microbial, immune, and regenerative processes. This work provides insights into the convergence of materials science, nanotechnology, and oral biology, and outlines future directions for translating engineered EVs into next-generation therapeutic platforms with broad relevance for biomaterial innovation and regenerative medicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 457-480"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of stent-graft compliance on hemodynamics and aortic stiffening in an in vivo porcine study","authors":"Ramin Shahbad ,&nbsp;Sivapriya Kuniyil ,&nbsp;Alexey Kamenskiy ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Zermeno ,&nbsp;Kaspars Maleckis ,&nbsp;Jason MacTaggart ,&nbsp;Anastasia Desyatova","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.051","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.051","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; Compliance mismatch is a key contributor to adverse vascular remodeling and long-term hemodynamic complications following endovascular aortic repair. However, few in vivo studies have systematically compared the biomechanical and hemodynamic impacts of compliant versus conventional stent-grafts. &lt;strong&gt;Objectives:&lt;/strong&gt; In this study, we evaluated an elastomeric nanofibrillar stent-graft (NF-SG) against a commercially available stiff stent-graft (CS-SG) in a swine model, focusing on the effect of stent-graft type on the hemodynamic indices. &lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; Twenty Yucatan minipigs were divided into three groups: Control, CS-SG, and NF-SG. The latter two underwent endovascular implantation of the stent-grafts. Hemodynamic assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately post-implantation, and at 18-week follow-up. Local PWV, pressure, pulsatility, distensibility, and harmonic waveform analyses were performed at the ascending and descending thoracic aorta. &lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; CS-SG implantation led to a significant increase in PWV (from 4.72 to 7.66 m/s), marked reductions in aortic pulsatility at the stented site (from 6.4% to 1.7%), as well as suppressed harmonic contribution (from 39.3% to 29.3%) and distortion (from 0.12 to 0.05), indicating impaired distal impedance regulation. In contrast, the NF-SG preserved baseline PWV (4.69 to 5.37 m/s) and maintained physiological waveform profiles, with minimal changes in harmonic contribution and distortion. NF-SG also showed a smaller reduction in pulsatility at the stented site (from 6.1% to 3.1%). &lt;strong&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/strong&gt; These findings demonstrate that NF-SG exhibits superior biomechanical compatibility by preserving aortic compliance and normal hemodynamic function. Compliant stent-grafts may offer a promising strategy to reduce the long-term cardiovascular burden associated with conventional endovascular repairs.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Statement of Significance&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Compliance mismatch is a significant challenge in endovascular aortic repair, contributing to adverse remodeling and long-term hemodynamic complications. Despite its clinical importance, few in vivo studies have systematically compared the biomechanical and hemodynamic impacts of compliant versus conventional stent-grafts. To address this gap, we performed a longitudinal study in a porcine model, comparing the performance of an innovative elastomeric nanofibrillar stent-graft with that of a commercially available stiff stent-graft. We demonstrate that implantation of the stiff stent-graft led to significant and sustained increases in pulse wave velocity, reduced aortic pulsatility, and impaired distal impedance regulation. In contrast, our elastomeric stent-graft preserved physiological aortic compliance and hemodynamic function, with minimal disruption to harmonic waveform profiles and distal pulsatility. These findings suggest that compliant stent-grafts may offer a ","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 408-425"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Repolarization of macrophages to improve sorafenib sensitivity for combination cancer therapy” [Acta Biomaterialia 162 (2023) 98–109]","authors":"Linzhuo Huang ,&nbsp;Rui Xu ,&nbsp;Weirong Li ,&nbsp;Li Lv ,&nbsp;Chunhao Lin ,&nbsp;Xianzhu Yang ,&nbsp;Yandan Yao ,&nbsp;Phei Er Saw ,&nbsp;Xiaoding Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.035","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 638-639"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Calcification and structural damage together accelerate porcine pericardium failure","authors":"Luke Guerin ,&nbsp;Alix Whelan ,&nbsp;Jack O’Leary ,&nbsp;Jessica Bagnall ,&nbsp;David O’Reilly ,&nbsp;Rachel Burke ,&nbsp;Evelyn Campbell ,&nbsp;Celia Hughes ,&nbsp;Emily Growney ,&nbsp;Caitríona Lally","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aortic stenosis (AS) is characterised by the narrowing and stiffening of the aortic valve, which restricts blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. Severe AS is a life-threatening condition which affects 1.48 % of individuals aged 55 and older, with a four-year mortality rate of 44.9 % if left untreated. Minimally invasive treatment for AS involves the implantation of a bioprosthetic valve with porcine or bovine pericardium leaflets, which frequently succumb to failure due to regurgitation or stenosis caused in part by calcification and structural damage. The relationship between these two durability-limiting processes is debated, and the influence of device crimping on both factors is not comprehensively understood. This study aims to explore the relationship between calcification and structural damage and determine if device crimping affects these processes. First, porcine pericardium (PP) tissue was exposed to either in vitro calcification in unloaded conditions (calcification) or cyclic bulge loading in saline, without calcification (structural damage). Subsequently, PP was simultaneously calcified and cyclically loaded for 30 million cycles. Simultaneous calcification and loading led to dramatically increased calcification and structural damage, including tissue rupture. Device crimping was not found to have a significant impact on calcification or structural damage. However, fibre architecture was found to affect rupture location, and dramatically affect the rate of rupture of PP. This finding has implications for future bioprosthetic valve leaflet anti-calcification strategies, where tissue mechanics influenced by the underlying tissue fibre architecture should be considered to minimise both structural damage and calcification.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Porcine pericardium (PP) is a commonly used biomaterial, most frequently in the leaflets of bioprosthetic valves. These devices frequently succumb to failure due to regurgitation or stenosis caused in part by calcification and structural damage of their leaflets. This work shows that calcification and structural damage work together to accelerate failure of PP, with dramatically increased calcification and structural damage of PP, including rupture, when the tissue is exposed to both simultaneously. Fibre architecture of PP was found to affect rupture location, and dramatically affect rate of rupture. This finding has implications for bioprosthetic leaflet durability, where tissue mechanics influenced by the underlying tissue fibre architecture should be considered to minimise both structural damage and calcification and maximise valve durability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 82-94"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A physiological oxygen gradient liver-zonation-on-a-chip reveals HIF-2α intervention in hepatic lipotoxicity","authors":"Yushen Wang ,&nbsp;Xinyu Li ,&nbsp;Junlei Han ,&nbsp;Feng Kong ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Xu ,&nbsp;Huili Hu ,&nbsp;Li Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a prevalent liver disease characterized by lipid zonation, which is closely linked to the functional zonation of liver lobules. However, existing models cannot faithfully replicate the oxygen gradient that regulates liver zonation, hindering a clear understanding of the progression and intervention mechanisms in MASLD. Here, we constructed a MASLD liver-zonation-on-a-chip that utilizes an engineering strategy based on “environmental oxygen convection and diffusion”, achieving a controllable oxygen concentration gradient (3.7 %-8.9 %) that closely mimics the <em>in vivo</em> hepatic microenvironment. This platform successfully recapitulates the typical features and clinicopathological phenotypes of the liver lobule while enabling continuous monitoring of liver injury. We found that upregulation of the oxygen-sensing factor HIF-2α does not directly promote lipid accumulation. Instead, it indirectly facilitates the progression of MASLD by enhancing the transcriptional activity of β-catenin through the WNT signaling pathway (e.g., <em>AXIN2, DVL1</em>). As regulators of the damage process, HIF-2α and β-catenin may be targeted to improve outcomes in MASLD.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of Significance</h3><div>Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a common liver disorder characterized by lipid zonation, which is closely related to the functional zonation of liver lobules. However, existing models are unable to accurately replicate the oxygen (O₂) gradients that regulate liver zonation, a limitation that hinders their ability to accurately reflect hepatocyte pathophysiology and obstructs understanding of the mechanisms underlying MASLD progression. This study constructs a liver-zonation-on-a-chip with a controllable physiological O₂ gradient and integrated biosensing for non-destructive injury monitoring. The O₂ gradient chip successfully replicates liver lobule zonation, providing an engineering approach to overcoming the challenge of low regional heterogeneity in liver organoids. The application of the liver-zonation-on-a-chip in pathological assessments has also been thoroughly evaluated, offering potential solutions for MASLD interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 176-191"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A latent TGF-β conjugated scaffold improves neocartilage development","authors":"Tianbai Wang ,&nbsp;Yifan Peng ,&nbsp;Bor-Lin Huang ,&nbsp;Enkhjargal Budbazar ,&nbsp;Celina C. Maldonado ,&nbsp;Andrew Martin ,&nbsp;Matthew D. Layne ,&nbsp;Joanne E. Murphy-Ullrich ,&nbsp;Mark W. Grinstaff ,&nbsp;Michael B. Albro","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.037","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.037","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>TGF-β is conventionally supplemented in culture medium at supraphysiologic doses to accelerate neocartilage development. While enhancing extracellular matrix (ECM) biosynthesis, supraphysiologic TGF-β further promotes non-hyaline cartilage features, including hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and ECM heterogeneities. In native cartilage, TGF-β is present in a latent complex (LTGF-β), which undergoes cell-mediated activation, leading to moderated, physiologic dosing regimens that avoid detrimental features associated with TGF-β excesses. Here, we explore a bio-inspired strategy, consisting of LTGF-β-conjugated scaffolds, providing TGF-β exposure regimens that are moderated and uniformly administered throughout the construct. We evaluate the performance of LTGF-β scaffolds with bovine chondrocyte-seeded agarose constructs compared to outcomes from active TGF-β media supplementation (MS) at a physiologic 0.3 ng/mL dose (MS-0.3), supraphysiologic 10 ng/mL dose (MS-10), or TGF-β free. LTGF-β scaffolds achieve native-matched mechanical properties and sGAG content, while providing a cell morphology and collagen distribution more reminiscent of hyaline cartilage. LTGF-β scaffolds further afford an optimal chondrogenic phenotype, marked by an up to 28-fold reduction of COL-I and 17-fold reduction of COL-X expression relative to TGF-β-free and MS-10, respectively. Further, LTGF-β scaffolds significantly reduce mechanical and biochemical heterogeneities relative to MS-0.3 and MS-10. Overall, LTGF-β scaffolds improve the composition, structure, material properties, and cell phenotype of neocartilage.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Inspired by native regulatory mechanisms, we introduce a latent TGF-β conjugated scaffold that enables localized, cell-mediated activation of TGF-β at physiologic levels. This approach yields neocartilage with native-matched composition and mechanical properties, while maintaining a hyaline-cartilage-like cell phenotype and morphology, thus mitigating the adverse developmental features associated with conventional active TGF-β dosing. This bio-inspired platform offers a compelling solution to current TGF-β delivery challenges to improve cartilage regeneration outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 145-159"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In vitro silicone oil emulsification in retinal detachment treatment: Methods, designs, and future strategies","authors":"Natalie Jaklová,&nbsp;Barbora Kamenická","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.024","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Silicone oils are widely used as intraocular tamponade agents in vitreoretinal surgery, particularly in the treatment of complex retinal detachments and other severe posterior segment pathologies such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy, macular holes, ocular trauma, or endophthalmitis. While they offer mechanical support for retinal reattachment, their prolonged intraocular presence is associated with the risk of emulsification, i.e., a process in which the oil phase breaks into subvisible droplets that can obstruct aqueous outflow and compromise visual outcomes. Although emulsification is frequently attributed to interfacial shear stresses generated during ocular motion, especially saccades, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood due to the multifactorial nature of the intraocular environment. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of experimental approaches used to investigate silicone oil emulsification, including vortex systems, mechanical shakers, artificial eye chambers, and microfluidic eye-on-a-chip platforms. We critically evaluate the physicochemical and biomechanical parameters influencing droplet formation. Despite significant progress, data from current in vitro models remain heterogeneous and often difficult to compare due to differences in design, fluid composition, and analytical endpoints. Based on the collective evidence, we propose a set of experimental recommendations aimed at emulsification in vitro, including the use of high-molecular-weight modified oils, standardized fluid compositions, advanced eye-mimicking platforms, and improved experimental and analytical protocols. Finally, we highlight the potential of next-generation testing platforms and biocompatible tamponades to offer physiologically relevant, reproducible, and standardized assessment of emulsification resistance. These insights aim to guide the rational design of improved tamponade agents and testing methodologies in future vitreoretinal applications.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Statement of significance&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Silicone oils are widely used as tamponades in retinal detachment surgery, yet their long-term stability is compromised by emulsification, leading to severe complications such as glaucoma. Although many in vitro studies have attempted to model this process, their findings remain fragmented and often contradictory. This review provides the first systematic, cross-platform analysis of silicone oil emulsification, critically comparing mechanical, chamber-based, and eye-on-a-chip approaches. By identifying unifying trends, methodological gaps, and underexplored parameters such as interfacial rheology and biomechanics, it establishes a roadmap toward standardized, physiologically relevant testing. These insights are significant not only for improving current tamponade materials but also for guiding the design of next-generation biomaterials and experimental platforms at the interface of ophthalmology, biomaterials science, and fluid","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 413-440"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145758484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}