Acta Biomaterialia最新文献

{"title":"From passive to active: Next-generation mechanically active dressings for wound healing","authors":"Pengfei Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhengjiang Liu ,&nbsp;Hailiang Pei ,&nbsp;Akhlaq Ahmed ,&nbsp;Yan Wei ,&nbsp;Di Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional passive dressings significantly slow down the wound healing process due to their lack of mechanical adaptability that matches human tissues. In contrast, mechanically active dressings (MADs), as a form of active intervention, can accelerate wound closure through their own mechanical deformation and are considered a key direction for next-generation wound care. Despite the continuous emergence of high-performance MADs in recent years, the relationship between their structural design characteristics and stimulus-responsive capabilities remains a major challenge that urgently needs to be addressed. In this review, the fundamental design principles governing MADs’ function are first elaborated, followed by a thorough examination of the biomechanical mechanisms by which they promote wound healing. Next, the connection between material design and stimulus-responsive mechanisms is examined, followed by the highlighting of recent MADs breakthroughs and an outline of current limitations. Finally, the main challenges and solutions for translating these innovations into clinical practice are explored, providing new references for creating smarter dressings of the future.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>This review addresses a critical gap in the field of mechanically active dressings (MADs) by moving beyond traditional single-material discussions to establish a unified design framework. This framework systematically links material morphology to diverse stimuli-responsiveness, including temperature, enzymes, ions, and magnetic fields. Furthermore, the introduction of a comprehensive performance comparison table transforms the review from a passive summary into a practical decision-support tool. Most importantly, by exploring patient-specific needs and commercialization pathways, we bridge the crucial gap between fundamental research and clinical practice, providing a clear roadmap for the rational design of next-generation wound care solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"208 ","pages":"Pages 168-189"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145484254","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 “A tumor microenvironment-responsive core-shell tecto dendrimer nanoplatform for magnetic resonance imaging-guided and cuproptosis-promoted chemo-chemodynamic therapy” Acta Biomaterialia 164, 2023, 474-486","authors":"Cheng Ni ,&nbsp;Zhijun Ouyang ,&nbsp;Gaoming Li ,&nbsp;Junjie Liu ,&nbsp;Xueyan Cao ,&nbsp;Linfeng Zheng ,&nbsp;Xiangyang Shi ,&nbsp;Rui Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.10.055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.10.055","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"208 ","pages":"Pages 590-592"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145477327","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 “Assessment of using Laponite® cross-linked poly(ethylene oxide) for controlled cell adhesion and mineralization” [Acta Biomaterialia 7 (2011) 568–577]","authors":"Akhilesh K. Gaharwar,&nbsp;Patrick J. Schexnailder,&nbsp;Benjamin P. Kline,&nbsp;Gudrun Schmidt","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.10.057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.10.057","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"208 ","pages":"Page 593"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472556","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":"Fe₃O₄–MXene as a dual-function root canal agent for disinfection and osteoclast inhibition in persistent apical periodontitis","authors":"Siyue Lai ,&nbsp;Shaoxuan Shui ,&nbsp;Yiling Li ,&nbsp;Jinyi Ma ,&nbsp;Li Mei ,&nbsp;Bolei Li ,&nbsp;Fang Lan ,&nbsp;Lei Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Persistent apical periodontitis (PAP) is characterized by periapical inflammation and alveolar bone resorption resulting from microorganisms that are resistant to conventional root canal disinfection. The treatment goals for PAP are to effectively eliminate resistant microorganisms and inhibit bone resorption. Root canal therapy (RCT) is the primary treatment for PAP, with chemical disinfection being a fundamental step in the process. This study developed Fe₃O₄‒MXene, a new root canal disinfectant with photothermally induced antibacterial properties and the potential to inhibit bone resorption. Under 808 nm light, Fe₃O₄‒MXene demonstrated high performance in converting the light energy into heat, effectively inhibiting <em>Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis)</em> biofilms. Additionally, Fe₃O₄‒MXene-mediated photothermal therapy enhanced the ability of NaOCl to eliminate <em>E. faecalis</em> contamination from the root canal system. Furthermore, magnetically guided to periapical areas, Fe₃O₄‒MXene suppressed osteoclast differentiation and function by neutralizing intracellular reactive oxygen species, downregulating NF-κB and NFATc1 pathways, which are critical regulators of osteoclast differentiation. In conclusion, Fe₃O₄‒MXene is a promising new root canal disinfectant that may improve PAP outcomes by simultaneously targeting root canal infection and alveolar bone resorption.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of Significance</h3><div>The pathology of PAP involves intracanal infection and bone resorption in the periapical area. Current research primarily focuses on eliminating intracanal contamination, while periapical lesions are often overlooked. To address this limitation, this study introduces Fe₃O₄‒MXene as an innovative root canal disinfectant with dual antibacterial and anti-resorptive effects. Fe₃O₄‒MXene combines photothermal antibacterial activity with targeted inhibition of osteoclastogenesis to address both infection and bone loss. Its synergistic antimicrobial effect with NaOCl and magnetic targeting enhances treatment precision and efficacy, providing a new and multifunctional therapeutic approach for PAP treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"208 ","pages":"Pages 510-524"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472603","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 solvent-free ropivacaine-loaded composite hydrogel assembled from pH-sensitive micelles and a thermosensitive injectable hydrogel for prolonged local anesthesia","authors":"Taotao Li ,&nbsp;Mingzhen Cai ,&nbsp;Qianqian Qiao ,&nbsp;Wenjie Shi ,&nbsp;Xin Guo ,&nbsp;Shaoqun Tang ,&nbsp;Xulin Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Postoperative pain is a major clinic challenge and local anesthetics are preferred for use in postoperative pain management, but their short duration of analgesia limits their clinical use. Various drug carriers such as liposomes or nano/microparticles have been developed for prolonging the analgesic duration, yet how to achieve effective drug loading without using organic solvents and sustained-release local anesthetics remains a big challenge. Herein, we synthesized a pH-sensitive and biodegradable polymer to efficiently load ropivacaine (Rop-micelles) by pH-induced micellization method without using any organic solvent, avoiding the aggregation and precipitation of Rop under neutral conditions within 7 days. Subsequently, an injectable dispersion of Rop-micelles in hydroxypropyl chitin (Rop-micelles@HPCH) was developed for long-term local anesthesia. This system was prepared via a simple and solvent-free process that combined pH-sensitive micelles with thermosensitive HPCH, demonstrating proven biocompatibility and biodegradability. Importantly, the obtained Rop-micelles@HPCH composite hydrogel exhibited a much more sustained Rop release than that of drug loaded in micelles or hydrogel alone <em>in vitro</em>. The effective analgesic time of Rop-micelles@HPCH (20.3 h) or Rop-micelles@HPCH-Dex with only a small fraction (&lt;one thousandth) of adjuvant dexmedetomidine (29.1 h) was evidently longer than those of the free Rop HCl (4.2 h) and the commercial EXPAREL® injection (4–6 h) groups in the rat sciatic nerve model. Such a ropivacaine/dexmedetomidine-loaded micelles/hydrogel composite via a solvent-free process could be a promising strategy for long-term postoperative pain management.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Local anesthetics are preferred for use in postoperative pain management to avoid using opioids, but their short duration limits their clinical use. Nowadays, many attempts have been reported to load local anesthetics into the nano/microparticles in the hydrophobic free base form for prolonged analgesia, which inevitably involved the use of organic solvents. In this study, we develop the ropivacaine-loaded pH-sensitive micelles/hydrogel composite via a solvent-free process based on pH-sensitive and biodegradable polymeric micelles and thermosensitive and injectable hydroxypropyl chitin for postoperative pain management. The drug-loaded micelles/hydrogel composite exhibited sustained drug release <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em>, displaying a much longer effective analgesic time than those of the free ropivacaine injection and the commercial EXPAREL® injection in the rat sciatic nerve blockade model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"208 ","pages":"Pages 309-321"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472590","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":"Anisotropic nanorod-integrated magneto-mechano-electric cascade system for neural electrical stimulation","authors":"Dan Wei ,&nbsp;Xurui Zhao ,&nbsp;Mingze Zeng ,&nbsp;Rong Li ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang ,&nbsp;Alina Urakova ,&nbsp;Jie Ding ,&nbsp;Chengheng Wu ,&nbsp;Jing Sun ,&nbsp;Roman V. Chernozem ,&nbsp;Hongsong Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Piezoelectric materials are now being considered as a potential treatment system for neural electrical stimulation. However, their therapeutic efficacy is limited by insufficient electrical outputs, which are generated by cellular forces and/or tissue motions. Herein, we constructed a high-efficiency magneto-mechano-electric cascade system with magnetic field (MF)-driven wireless electrical stimulation. The anisotropic Fe₃O₄ nanorod (RFO)-integrated poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) copolymer (PVDF-TrFE) fibrous scaffold (PT-RFO) with enhanced piezoelectric β-phase content was prepared via electrospinning technique. Under a remote pulsed MF, the high-efficiency electrical outputs within PT-RFO scaffold could be generated by converting pressure force and deflection force within the contact interface between anisotropic RFO and PVDF-TrFE matrix. As a result, such PT-RFO scaffold could accelerate the repair of injured sciatic nerves and promote the recovery of damaged motor functions in rat models. This work highlights the potential application of a wireless controllable cascade stimulation system integrated multiple designable cues for neural repair and modulation.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>A magneto-mechano-electric cascade scaffold via the integration of anisotropic Fe₃O₄ nanorods and a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) copolymer (PVDF-TrFE) was developed, with an enhanced piezoelectric phase, coupling area and deflection force. This cascade system can produce high-efficiency electrical signal output, which shows good potential in neural electrical stimulation applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 452-465"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145472616","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":"Fiber composite hydrogels and their applications in tissue regeneration","authors":"Chenyi Lu,&nbsp;Chen Tang,&nbsp;Guifei Li,&nbsp;Kaixuan Ren,&nbsp;Jingbo Yin,&nbsp;Shifeng Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fiber composite hydrogels integrate natural extracellular matrix (ECM) structural mimicry, high mechanical strength, and large specific surface area of fibers with the exceptional hydration and water retention capabilities of hydrogels. Compared with pure hydrogels and fiber scaffolds used in tissue regeneration, these composites achieve balanced and synergistic performance. Currently, various fabrication strategies including blending, lamination, 3D printing, and in situ phase separation are employed to construct them. They exhibit significant improvements over pure hydrogel systems in structural biomimicry precision, mechanical properties, and active ingredient delivery. Thus, they demonstrate better performance than single-component materials in nerve, bone, vascular, and skin tissue regeneration, exhibiting mechanical strength and topological cues. This review systematically summarizes their preparation methods, structure-function advantages, and advances in various tissue repairs. It also offers future perspectives on performance enhancement, process optimization, and intelligent design.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>Fiber composite hydrogels are promising biomaterials for tissue regeneration. They integrate the natural extracellular matrix structural mimicry, high mechanical strength, and large specific surface area of fibers with exceptional water retention capabilities of hydrogels, overcoming limitations of conventional hydrogels in applications. Prior reviews have narrowly centered on electrospun fibers and their reinforcing effects, lacking comprehensiveness. Alternatively, some suffer from a broad scope on applications. This review expands fiber types, compares diverse fabrication techniques, and addresses tissue regeneration. It also highlights the benefits of fiber integration including extracellular matrix mimicry, mechanical reinforcement, and delivery of active ingredients. This review covers biomaterial fabrication techniques, structure-performance correlations, and focuses on the significant societal challenge of tissue regeneration, offering strong appeal for readers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"208 ","pages":"Pages 146-167"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145460923","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":"Angiogenesis-driven hybrid hydrogel with pH/ROS-activated anti-infection and enhanced cellular metabolism for efficient MRSA-impaired wound repair","authors":"Liuyang Zhang ,&nbsp;Minhui Ai ,&nbsp;Houjin Zhuang ,&nbsp;Tianyun Liu ,&nbsp;Long Zhang ,&nbsp;Qian Huang ,&nbsp;Bo Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The primary challenges in repairing multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) infected wounds arise from antibiotic resistance, insufficient vascularization, and disrupted cellular energy metabolism. Herein, we develop an infection-responsive antibacterial hydrogel (CBGCT) with mitochondria-mimicking bioenergy-supplying capabilities for vascularized wound repair. The CBGCT hydrogel was composed of an individually photo-crosslinkable boronized poly(citrate-ε-polylysine) matrix, reinforced with copper ion-tannic acid nanosheets (Cu@TA) and guar gum. The CBGCT hydrogel demonstrated enhanced antimicrobial activity and ROS scavenging in response to acidic pH and high ROS levels. The pH-responsive degradability of Cu@TA nanosheets enabled the cascaded controlled-release of copper ions and tannic acid from the CBGCT hydrogel, thereby enhancing angiogenesis and anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, The citrates generated during the degradation of CBGCT hydrogel can also accelerate the tricarboxylic acid cycle, elevating mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular ATP levels (1.4-fold higher than the negative control group), which ensured a sustained supply of bioenergy for cellular physiological processes. Ultimately, the CBGCT hydrogel effectively eradicated bacterial infections, modulated the immunological environment by suppressing the expression of inflammatory factors, and enhanced angiogenesis and collagen deposition, thereby facilitating the repair and reconstruction of methicillin-resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (MRSA)-infected mice wounds (closure rate of 94.3 % by day 14). From the point of regulating cellular energy metabolism and angiogenesis, this work provides a good strategy to develop smart responsive hydrogel with precise bioactivities for repairing infection-related tissue injury.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>The microenvironment-responsive bioactive hydrogel with activated cellular ability has become promising for treating multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) infected wounds. However, activating disrupted intracellular metabolism with enhanced angiogenesis while keeping infection-responsive bioactivity remains a critical challenge. Herein, we develop a microenvironment-responsive antibacterial hydrogel (CBGCT) with mitochondria-mimicking bioenergy-supplying capabilities for vascularized wound repair. CBGCT possessed pH-ROS responsive release of copper ions and polycitrates, thereby enhancing the tricarboxylic acid cycle, elevating mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular ATP levels, and accelerating the angiogenesis and wound repair. From the point of regulating cellular energy metabolism and angiogenesis, this work provides a strategy to develop smart responsive hydrogel with precise bioactivities for repairing infection-related tissue injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 241-259"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145460912","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":"Mechanical characterization of an incompressible, strain-hardening, transversely isotropic material","authors":"Qifeng Wang ,&nbsp;Sheng Wang ,&nbsp;Mahdi Ebrahimkhani ,&nbsp;Thomas J. Royston ,&nbsp;Eric J. Perreault ,&nbsp;Kenneth R. Shull","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.10.062","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.10.062","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A strain energy approach for the characterization of strain-hardening, transversely isotropic materials was developed and validated through a combination of indentation and uniaxial extension experiments. These experiments were utilized because they can also be applied to directly measure the mechanical properties of many living tissues, including muscle. Model materials with transversely isotropic mechanical properties broadly representative of biological tissues were utilized in the experiments. These organogels were made from acrylic triblock copolymer solutions with an aligned cylindrical domain morphology. The strain energy function used here was proposed recently by Hegde <em>et al.</em>, and is based on the three independent linear elastic constants for a transversely isotropic material, along with two additional strain-hardening parameters. These five parameters were determined for the model material by indentation with a blade indenter aligned both parallel and perpendicular to the unique axis of the gel, and by uniaxial extension of the material along the directions parallel and perpendicular to the unique axis. The effect on the indentation curves of an applied tensile pre-stress applied along the unique axis was also investigated. Finite element modeling was used to generate interpolated functions that allow the elastic constants, along with their uncertainty, to be obtained from the experimental data in a straightforward manner. These parameters were then used to predict the wave speeds in pre-stressed material that would be measured by shear wave elastography, a commonly used technique for non-invasively characterizing the mechanical properties of biological tissues.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"209 ","pages":"Pages 440-451"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145454191","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":"Interface accommodation of asymmetric cells in the Apis mellifera honeycomb","authors":"Rahul Franklin ,&nbsp;Eshan Ganju ,&nbsp;Brock A. Harpur ,&nbsp;Nikhilesh Chawla","doi":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.09.050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actbio.2025.09.050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Honeycomb is an engineering and architectural marvel used by bees to store food and raise brood. It is constantly being added to or subtracted from by workers in the colony. The size and shape of comb can vary dramatically based on need, and workers often have to merge or manipulate comb of varying size and shape. This variation in cell sizes causes the bees to adjust construction of the hexagonal comb lattice to accommodate the inherent distortions caused by size differences. Here, we shed light on lattice distortions at the interface between worker (small) and drone (large) cells, as well as around non-polygonal queen cells. Using time-resolved X-ray microscopy, we show that the merger between two combs is initially facilitated by the copings- a bulb like structure that extends the corrugated spine of the comb. We show that bees attempt to maintain the corrugated nature of the spine in the merging region and inevitably end up creating distorted cells that they later attempt to normalize. To highlight this, we propose a new distortion parameter to quantify in 3D, distortions within cells and thereby quantifiably show how bees modify individual cells to lower this parameter to a proposed threshold level. Finally, we shed light on a previously overlooked interface between a typical honeycomb lattice and non-polygonal queen cells and describe how bees use a previously unreported strategy of building interstitial cells to incorporate highly irregular cells into the ordered hexagonal lattice of the comb.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of significance</h3><div>It has been speculated for years that honeybees have developed efficient design principles and valuable strategies to optimally use materials and resources when constructing comb. Studying and understanding these complex structures, non-destructively as the bees build them out, can be challenging. In our paper, we have used four-dimensional x-ray microscopy, to unravel several unique and previously unreported mechanisms for interface accommodation between different honeycomb cells. Here we show, at a microscopic level, that the coping at the edges of the comb is used to link and accommodate the cells of different sizes. More importantly, we have developed a quantitative methodology to capture the deviation in shape of the hexagonal cell to capture the degree of accommodation at the interface.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":237,"journal":{"name":"Acta Biomaterialia","volume":"207 ","pages":"Pages 456-467"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145214744","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}