Acta Biomaterialia最新文献

{"title":"Engineered cerium oxide nanoparticles conjugated with carrier platforms: Therapeutic mechanisms for skin wound healing applications","authors":"Tzong-Yun Ger ,&nbsp;Seyyed Mojtaba Mousavi ,&nbsp;Chia-Jung Yang ,&nbsp;Chun-Hsu Yao ,&nbsp;Jui-Yang Lai","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wound healing is a complex process influenced by oxidative stress, inflammation, microbial infection, and limited angiogenesis. Conventional therapies often fail to address these multifactorial barriers, prompting the need for advanced, multifunctional platforms. This review summarizes recent advances in cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂ NPs) combined with carrier platforms, providing a mechanistic framework for their wound-healing applications. Unlike earlier reviews focusing on either NPs or carrier platforms alone, this work integrates both areas to show how CeO₂ NPs in hydrogels, nanofibers, cryogels, and composites improve release control, biocompatibility, and targeted therapeutic performance. The review highlights CeO₂ NPs’ reversible Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ cycling, enabling reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, inflammation control, antibacterial action, and angiogenesis promotion. It categorizes wound types (diabetic, burn, infected, and post-surgical) and maps CeO₂ NP-based interventions to their corresponding pathological features, providing translational insights for clinical applications. Furthermore, it discusses synthesis methods, physicochemical characterization, and biological mechanisms, serving as a strategic resource for both researchers and clinicians. By bridging nanomedicine and regenerative biomaterials, this review presents a framework for designing smart wound-healing systems that address molecular dysfunction and structural repair, guiding future research toward both clinical translation, personalized therapies and the optimization of NP– carrier platforms interactions.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>The development of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂ NPs) conjugated with carrier platforms has opened new avenues for skin wound healing. These nanoplatforms have demonstrated significant potential in reducing oxidative stress, suppressing inflammation, preventing infection, and promoting angiogenesis, thereby accelerating tissue regeneration and enhancing therapeutic efficacy. While most existing reviews have emphasized the individual effects of nanoparticles, the synergistic benefits arising from delivery-system conjugation have often been overlooked. This review comprehensively summarizes studies describing the mechanistic roles of CeO₂–based delivery platforms in advanced wound-healing applications. Furthermore, synthesis strategies, physicochemical characteristics, and biological mechanisms are discussed. Finally, A concise commentary on future prospects for researchers across regenerative medicine and biomedical science.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 570-603"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145746102","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":"Minipig costal and knee cartilage structure-function relationships and their use as cell sources for tissue-engineered analogous cellular products for cartilage repair","authors":"Gaston A. Otarola ,&nbsp;Rachel C. Nordberg ,&nbsp;Jerry C. Hu,&nbsp;Kyriacos A. Athanasiou","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Toward the development of biologic products intended to repair articular cartilage, this study evaluated native structure-function relationships of rib and knee cartilage and compared the capacity of articular chondrocytes (ACs) and costochondral cells (CCs) to generate tissue-engineered analogous cellular products (ACPs) for preclinical cartilage repair studies. Utilizing the relevant preclinical model of the Yucatan minipig, both knee and rib cartilages were characterized by topography and age. Key findings include that: 1) knee cartilage had higher tensile properties than rib cartilage (e.g., ultimate tensile strength of adult knee cartilage being 218 % of adult rib cartilage), 2) rib cartilage had higher compressive properties than knee cartilage (e.g., aggregate modulus of adult rib cartilage being 177 % of adult knee cartilage), 3) functional (i.e., biomechanical and biochemical) properties were dependent on age (e.g., adult coefficient of friction being 186 % of that of the juvenile in the medial-lateral axis of the knee), 4) functional properties were dependent on topography, 5) compressive properties were significantly correlated to glycosaminoglycan content and hydration, and 6) tensile properties were significantly correlated to collagen content. Additionally, juvenile ACs and CCs were compared for their capacity to generate self-assembled neocartilage with constructs achieving functionality index values (i.e., a weighted average of neocartilage functional properties compared to native tissue) of 0.54 and 0.44, respectively, when compared to native adult minipig knee cartilage. Overall, this study provides gold-standard characterization values for minipigs of different ages for preclinical cartilage repair studies and demonstrates that both ACs and CCs can be used to generate functional self-assembled neocartilage ACPs.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Toward the clinical translation of tissue-engineered cartilage implants, this study characterizes the functional properties of knee and rib cartilage in the clinically relevant Yucatan minipig model. Additionally, it evaluates the ability of knee- and rib-derived chondrocytes to generate neocartilage that recapitulates the functional properties of native cartilage tissues. Age-related changes in rib and knee cartilage are also described, along with structure-function relationships involving correlating biochemical composition and mechanical properties of cartilage tissues. Overall, this study provides data essential to the translation of cartilage implants for the knee and describes how these data are relevant to the FDA regulatory process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145752449","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":"Mechanisms of anisotropic wet friction in bioinspired hexagonal pillar arrays","authors":"Meng Li,&nbsp;Maomao Zhang,&nbsp;Congfeng Wang,&nbsp;Qi Liu,&nbsp;Yongjian Sun,&nbsp;Tao Wang,&nbsp;Liping Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anisotropic friction under wet conditions is essential for biological attachment and emerging robotic applications, yet its governing mechanisms remain unclear. Inspired by the microstructure of tree frog toe pads, hexagonal micropillar arrays with varying geometric parameters were fabricated, and their wet friction behavior was systematically investigated. The results show that the pillar aspect ratio (<em>γ</em>) predominantly determines directional friction performance. A pronounced friction enhancement occurs within 0.25 &lt; <em>γ</em> &lt; 0.64, with the highest anisotropy at <em>γ</em> = 0.375, where side-sliding friction is 126 % higher than corner-sliding. This anisotropic enhancement arises from more efficient drainage and greater dry contact formation induced by surface warping and inter-channel constriction during pillar deformation. Interference imaging and theoretical modeling confirm that anisotropic friction originates from deformation-driven modulation of the lubrication film and dry contact area. These findings elucidate the structure-function relationship of hexagonal architectures and provide design principles for engineering bioinspired surfaces with controllable friction under wet conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Directional friction under wet conditions is critical for biological and engineering systems that require controlled locomotion, attachment, or gripping in fluidic environments. Inspired by the hexagonal pillar arrays found on tree frog toe pads, this study elucidates the fundamental mechanisms by which aspect ratio and sliding direction govern anisotropic wet friction. By combining tribological experiments, optical interference analysis, and deformation modeling, we demonstrate that friction anisotropy arises from deformation-driven drainage - specifically, the coupled effects of inter-pillar channel contraction and top-surface warping. These insights establish a mechanistic framework linking microscale structural deformation to macroscale frictional performance, providing design principles for bioinspired surfaces with programmable friction. The findings have direct implications for soft robotics, medical tools, and wearable devices operating in wet or dynamic environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 57-66"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145783914","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":"Smooth muscle cell-like support cells accelerate the autologous endothelialization of a polyurethane scaffold for vascular engineering","authors":"Kate D. MacQuarrie ,&nbsp;Katya A. D’Costa ,&nbsp;Jeremy A. Antonyshyn ,&nbsp;Sahej K. Saini ,&nbsp;Uros Kuzmanov ,&nbsp;Michelle P. Bendeck ,&nbsp;Anthony O. Gramolini ,&nbsp;Stefan O. P․ Hofer ,&nbsp;J. Paul Santerre","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The endothelialization of vascular scaffolds, such as small-diameter grafts, has long been an obstacle in the tissue engineering field. The absence of an abundant and expandable autologous endothelial cell source, and of a viable strategy to facilitate their rapid growth, have prevented clinical adoption of endothelialized grafts. At the same time, the importance of a confluent endothelium and mechanisms to prevent graft occlusion have been recognized. Here, we report on the rapid, patient-derived endothelialization of a non-protein coated, biocompatible, and degradable polyurethane scaffold, on which adipose tissue-derived endothelial cells are co-cultured with adipose tissue-derived stromal cells, having a smooth muscle cell-like phenotype. The co-cultured endothelia are characterized using proteomic, genomic, biochemical, and histologic analyses, which demonstrate that they maintain a functional phenotype, as well as fewer inflammatory characteristics than endothelial cells cultured without support cells. Importantly, we also show that this co-culture with endothelial cells does not compromise the differentiated, contractile phenotype of, or extracellular matrix production by, the pre-differentiated support cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the differentiated smooth muscle cell phenotype, when combined with human monocytes, best recapitulates the protein composition of human arteries, particularly in terms of elastin production. Overall, we demonstrate the production of a patient-derived, confluent endothelium within a vascular scaffold while recapitulating the natural features key to arterial function, namely mature supporting cells, and a physiologically relevant extracellular matrix.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of Significance</h3><div>For small-diameter (&lt; 6 mm) tissue-engineered vascular grafts, it has been recognized that having a confluent endothelium on the graft’s lumen, and mimicking the arterial structure and mechanical properties present in the body, are both essential for success. Our work demonstrates the ability to produce a tissue-engineered scaffold that recapitulates critical elements of an artery’s <em>in vivo</em> structure and is composed entirely of autologous, fat-derived cells on a degradable, biocompatible polymer. Furthermore, it shows the potential to produce a stable, confluent endothelium, maintain the differentiated character of the co-cultured supporting cells, and synthesize an appropriate extracellular matrix, all of which are key to the graft’s ability to respond to physiological cues and remain unobstructed upon implant.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 398-412"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145703011","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":"Matrix stiffness shapes transcriptional profiles and drug responses of pancreatic cancer cells","authors":"Eleonora Peerani ,&nbsp;Juliana B. Candido ,&nbsp;Eleni Maniati ,&nbsp;Elena Tomás-Bort ,&nbsp;Shreya Sharma ,&nbsp;Julien Clegg ,&nbsp;Hemant M Kocher ,&nbsp;Jun Wang ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Curvello ,&nbsp;Daniela Loessner","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pancreatic cancer tissues are made of different cell populations surrounded by a dense extracellular matrix. The stiff cancerous matrix impairs the diffusion of cytotoxic drugs, contributing to poor outcomes for patients. Matrix-targeting therapies normalise the extracellular matrix and, therefore, cell-matrix interactions. However, our knowledge of how matrix stiffness influences cancer cell and transcriptional dynamics and responses to anti-cancer compounds is incomplete. Here we developed a 3D cancer model to replicate the stiffness of patient-derived tissues and evaluated the effects of matrix-targeting compounds. Transcriptomic analyses showed that matrix stiffness regulated matrisome-related genes, cytokines and chemokines. The inclusion of stromal cells further increased the mechanical properties of our 3D cancer model. Treatment with the ROCK inhibitor fasudil induced matrix softening and improved sensitivity of cancer and stromal cells to cytotoxic treatment, whereas inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases disrupted cancer cell invasion. Our results indicate that matrix stiffness impacts cancer cell profiles, and targeting the cancerous matrix may lead to improved combination therapies for pancreatic cancer.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Pancreatic cancers have a dense extracellular matrix that drives resistance to therapy and disease progression, yet the mechanistic links between matrix stiffness and cancer cell behaviour are unclear. We engineered a 3D cancer model based on mechanical profiling of patient tissues to investigate how matrix stiffness influences gene expression and drug response. We found that increased stiffness regulates matrisome and inflammatory genes, and that stromal-induced stiffening affects sensitivity to matrix-targeting and cytotoxic drugs. The inhibition of Rho-kinase signalling enhanced the efficacy of cytotoxic drugs. These findings establish matrix stiffness as a key factor in tumour biology and therapy response, supporting the use of our preclinical model to guide new combination treatments for pancreatic cancer, aimed at improving outcomes for patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 67-81"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145746132","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 effect of stiffness on cell behavior and drug resistance in patient-derived breast cancer organoids","authors":"Wonwoo Jeong ,&nbsp;Dongju Kim ,&nbsp;Nadeem Wajih ,&nbsp;Hyun-Wook Kang ,&nbsp;Marissa M. Howard-McNatt ,&nbsp;Konstantinos Votanopoulos ,&nbsp;Shay Soker ,&nbsp;Sang Jin Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.12.026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 10–15 % of breast cancer cases and is characterized by its high aggressiveness, influenced by extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins such as collagen IV and laminin. Creating a cancer microenvironment that mimics these conditions could enhance the clinical relevance of breast cancer models for patient-specific treatments. In this study, a Segmented Organoids with Agile Reassembly (SOAR) printing was established by compartmentalizing TNBC spheroids with ECM proteins (Matrigel®) to simulate varying levels of aggressiveness. Increasing ECM concentration elevated spheroid’s stiffness to approximately 2 kPa, resulting in desmoplasia-like structures and enhanced cancer aggressiveness, as indicated by nuclear pleomorphism, increased Ki-67 expression, and <em>β</em>-catenin translocation. The SOAR-printed TNBC spheroids demonstrated a correlation between increased drug resistance and higher ECM concentrations. Elevated IC₅₀ values and reduced efficacy of doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide were observed. This SOAR printing platform effectively captured patient-specific drug responses related to variations in cancer aggressiveness in patient-derived cancer organoids. The SOAR printing facilitates the rapid formation of patient-specific cancer organoids, making it a promising approach for personalized medicine. This versatile strategy offers a robust <em>in vitro</em> cancer model manufacturing platform, with toxicology and drug screening applications.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Segmented Organoids with Agile Reassembly (SOAR) printing is an innovative biomanufacturing technique that enables rapid and precise construction of 3D organoids. By segmenting and reassembling cancer cells with tailored extracellular matrix (ECM) environments, SOAR can recreate varying levels of tumor aggressiveness more accurately than conventional organoid methods. In this study, we demonstrate that SOAR printing can reliably generate patient-specific cancer organoids directly from biopsy-derived cells. These organoids enable efficient testing of chemotherapy responses, supporting more personalized and effective treatment selection. The scalability and adaptability of SOAR also broaden its impact beyond oncology, offering a versatile platform for high-throughput drug screening, toxicology assessments, and applications in regenerative medicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"210 ","pages":"Pages 27-39"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145764175","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 “Chemical group-dependent plasma polymerisation preferentially directs adipose stem cell differentiation towards osteogenic or chondrogenic lineages”","authors":"M.F. Griffin ,&nbsp;A. Ibrahim ,&nbsp;A.M. Seifalian ,&nbsp;P.E.M. Butler ,&nbsp;D.M. Kalaskar ,&nbsp;P. Ferretti","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.045","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 640-641"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145702728","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 “Mitochondria-targeting pseudo-stealthy nanophotosensitizer as a potent immunogenic cell death inducer to unleash the cancer-immunity cycle for melanoma therapy” [Acta Biomaterialia 203 (2025) 535–549]","authors":"Kewei Shi ,&nbsp;Zichong Ye ,&nbsp;Hengyan Zhu ,&nbsp;Lulu Ren ,&nbsp;Hangxiang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.029","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Page 637"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145662817","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":"Ultrastructural viscoelasticity of fibrillar collagen identified by AFM Nano-Rheometry and direct indentation","authors":"Meisam Asgari ,&nbsp;Elahe Mirzarazi ,&nbsp;Ryan J. Benavides ,&nbsp;Yuri M. Efremov ,&nbsp;Robert D. Frisina ,&nbsp;Hojatollah Vali ,&nbsp;Horacio D. Espinosa","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soft tissues exhibit predominantly time-dependent mechanical behavior critical for their biological function in organs like the lungs and aorta, as they can deform and stretch at varying rates depending on their function. Collagen type I serves as the primary structural component in these tissues. The viscoelastic characteristics of such tissues, stemming from diverse energy dissipation mechanisms across various length scales, remains poorly characterized at the nanoscale. Prior experimental investigations have predominantly centered on analyzing tissue responses largely attributed to interactions between cells and fibers. Despite many studies on tissue viscoelasticity from scaffolds to single collagen fibrils, the time-dependent mechanics of collagen fibrils at the sub-fibrillar level remain poorly understood. This pioneering study employs atomic force microscopy (AFM) nano-rheometry and indentation testing to examine the viscoelastic characteristics of individual collagen type I fibrils at the ultrastructural level within distinct topographical zones, specifically focusing on gap and overlap regions. Our investigation has unveiled that collagen fibrils display a viscoelastic response that replicates the mechanical behavior of the tissue at the macroscale. Further, our findings suggest a distinct viscoelastic behavior between the gap and overlap regions, likely stemming from variances in molecular organization and cross-linking modalities within these specific sites. The results of our investigation provide unequivocal proof of the temporal dependence of mechanical properties and provides unique data to be compared to atomistic models, laying a foundation for refining the precision of macroscale models that strive to capture tissue viscoelasticity across varying length scales.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Soft tissues such as the lungs and aorta depend on collagen to stretch and perform their functions, which involve continuous and dynamic deformation. Although these tissues are known to exhibit viscoelastic behavior, the mechanisms behind this at the fine scale of individual collagen fibril ultrastructure are not well understood. In this study, we used AFM nano-rheometry and direct indentation to be the first to directly measure the viscoelastic properties of collagen at the ultrastructural level. We discovered that single fibrils show time-dependent behavior similar to that of whole tissues, with distinct mechanical differences between regions likely due to variations in molecular organization and bonding. These insights advance our understanding of tissue mechanics and contribute to more accurate multi-scale modeling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 466-480"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145643027","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":"2025-11-27","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}