Biomaterials Science最新文献

The development of inorganic nanozymes has revolutionized the field of nanotechnology by providing a new class of catalytic materials that exhibit enzyme-like activities. Compared with traditional natural enzymes, nanozymes have broad application prospects in the field of biomedicine due to their higher chemical stability, stronger environmental adaptability, and ability to maintain their activity under extreme conditions. To provide a comprehensive overview of the recent progress made in this field, herein, an overview of inorganic nanozymes for biomedical applications is provided. In this review, the structure, synthesis methods, and catalytic mechanism of inorganic nanozymes are summarized. Subsequently, the latest progress of various inorganic nanozymes for the applications in biomedicine is reviewed, including diagnostic applications, therapeutic applications and drug delivery systems. Then, the recent developments in the modification and multifunctionalization of novel inorganic nanozymes are discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects of inorganic nanozymes in the field of biomedicine are highlighted and pointed out. We hope that this timely review can further advance this promising field.

Bone powder-laden hydrogel scaffold is emerging as a promising bone graft material to offer solutions for bone defect repair in bone tissue engineering. Numerous hydrogel composite scaffolds loaded with xenobiotic bone powder or alloplast bone powder have been developed for preclinical experiments. In vitro experiments conducted on osteogenesis-related cells and in vivo studies using bone defect animal models have demonstrated that bone powder-laden hydrogel scaffolds exhibit favorable physicochemical properties, enhance the osteogenic behavior of osteogenesis-related cells, and improve the quality and efficiency of bone defect repair in animals. Bone powder-laden hydrogel scaffold can maximize the performance of individual components. However, this material has several limitations and has not yet been approved for clinical trials. Therefore, recent research has explored related products with superior properties, enhancing the mechanical, chemical, and biological characteristics of bone powder-laden hydrogel scaffolds, and proposed various strategies for improvement. This review summarizes the preparation procedures, therapeutic applications and possible improvements of various types of bone powder-laden hydrogel scaffolds.

While catechol chemistry is widely known, the selection of catechols applied for resins and adhesive purposes has relied almost exclusively on L-dopamine variants. Herein five catechol isomers evaluate ortho, meta, and para dihydroxybenzene (DHB) structures on adhesion related mechanical properties, including organic/aqueous stability, gelation time, and adhesion strength on soft substrates. A model system evaluates the catechol–aldehyde isomers through Schiff base grafting to an amine rich macromolecule, branched polyethylenimine. This work evaluates how grafted-catechol isomers can be exploited to tune reactivity to both solvent and external stimuli. The formulations allow a range of sensitivity, from designs that observe gelation time within minutes of water exposure, to water-stable formulations that can be cured through via voltage stimulation.

The etiology of oral ulcers is complex, primarily comprising external physical and chemical stimuli, immune imbalances, and various diseases. Pressure ulcers are mainly caused by continuous or intermittent pressure that damages the skin and underlying tissues. The healing process for both types of ulcers is similar to wound healing, including stages such as inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. However, some clinically used treatments have issues such as significant side effects, high costs, low adhesion, and insufficient mechanical strength, which can negatively affect the patient's physical and mental health. In this study, we designed a mussel-inspired hydrogel (GD3M4), which consists of dopamine-grafted gelatin (GelDA), aldehyde-modified hyaluronic acid (OHA), and methacrylate gelatin (GelMA). This hydrogel can sustain adhesion for 48 hours in artificial saliva. In compression tests, the GD3M4 hydrogel showed a compression modulus of nearly 1.26 MPa, demonstrating excellent compressive strength to adapt to complex in vivo and in vitro environments. The DCFH-DA experiments showed that the GD3M4 hydrogel has good antioxidant properties. In both the mouse oral ulcer model and pressure ulcer model, the GD3M4 hydrogel exhibited excellent ulcer-healing effects by modulating the expression of inflammatory factors and epidermal growth. In conclusion, the GD3M4 hydrogel provides a promising therapeutic strategy for promoting the healing of oral ulcers and pressure ulcers.

Amid the rising toll of war-associated deaths and injuries and escalating conflicts between countries, there is a strong need to manage complex battlefield injuries by preventing further deterioration and accelerating the repair of damaged tissues. Global military powers, including the USA and China, have established scientific facilities for dedicated research into military regenerative medicine. However, there remains a gap, as most reported medical devices created for tissue repair are unsuitable for use on battlefields. In this perspective, we argue why now is the golden time for countries to invest in military regenerative medicine, and we propose the use of RIPE (Restorative, Individualized, Portable and Emergency) criteria to optimize technologies for tackling battlefield injuries, including rapid hemostasis, immobilization, tissue repair, and functional reconstruction. Similar to technologies such as blood plasma transfusion and portable ultrasound, which were originally developed through military investment and later found highly valuable for civilian medical use, timely investment in military regenerative medicine, as we argue, will have a positive spillover impact on public healthcare programs in the future.

Post-central nervous system injury, the endogenous repair and mobilization of neural stem cells are insufficient, necessitating the reliance on exogenous cell transplantation as the predominant repair and replacement strategy. The behavior and differentiation fate of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are highly susceptible to external stimuli, including the cell culture matrix and physical electromagnetic signals. In this study, we innovatively utilize magnetic graphene oxide composite nanoparticles to regulate the proliferation and neural lineage differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells (iPSC-derived hNPCs). Our results reveal that a specific concentration of magnetic graphene oxide effectively maintains stemness properties, promotes cell proliferation, and preferentially directs differentiation toward neuronal lineages under induced differentiation conditions. Additionally, this treatment upregulated the expression of synaptic-related proteins while concurrently reducing the astrocytic differentiation ratio. These findings provide a novel materials-based strategy for optimizing hNPCs in vitro culture and directed differentiation systems.

The cells co-culture approach, involving endothelial cells and supporting stromal cells, such as fibroblasts, is commonly used for engineering microvascular networks. While this approach effectively promotes vascular morphogenesis through paracrine signaling and matrix remodeling, it often leads to excessive fibroblast proliferation. This uncontrolled growth can disrupt the structural organization of the developing vasculature, making it challenging to achieve reproducible and physiologically relevant microtissue architectures. In this work, we introduce an alternative monoculture method that uses only endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a fibrin gel matrix. To promote the formation of structured capillary-like networks without stromal support, we optimized vasculogenesis by supplementing exogenous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fine-tuning matrix stiffness, and applying it in a hypoxic environment (1% O₂). This approach was also applied to brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC). This innovation addresses the limitations of traditional methods, overcomes rapid matrix degradation caused by fibroblast-mediated remodeling, identifies ∼2.56 kPa as the optimal stiffness for blood capillary growth, and demonstrates that capillary development is significantly enhanced at VEGF concentrations above 50 ng ml⁻¹.

This study addresses the critical clinical challenge of implant failures due to mechanical overload by developing a novel rat model to investigate re-osseointegration. Metal implants, essential in dental, maxillofacial, and orthopaedic treatments, rely on osseointegration for stability. However, the fate of mechanically overloaded implants remains poorly understood. We introduced intentional traumatic loosening of submicron-modified titanium implants (treated with NaOH) through snap rotational overload in rat tibiae. After four weeks of initial healing, implants were disrupted and then allowed to re-heal for another four weeks. Evaluations using removal torque, histology, histochemistry, and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated successful re-healing with regained mechanical stability, bone–implant contact, and bone volume. Dynamic histology revealed bone tissue remodelling near the implant interface, indicating fractures due to mechanical disruption. These findings confirm that osseointegrated implants can re-heal under normal conditions. The validated rat model offers a controlled platform for future studies on re-osseointegration following traumatic mechanical overload. The potential applications of this experimental model may extend to investigating compromised healing conditions, early/direct loading conditions, and the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in peri-implant bone repair.

Correction for ‘Ultra-low attachment surface enabling 3D co-culture of human B cells with CD40L-expressing stromal cells for in vitro mimicry of secondary lymphoid organs’ by Ananta Kumar et al., Biomater. Sci., 2025, https://doi.org/10.1039/d5bm01039j.

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is a key driver of fibrogenesis, while perisinusoidal collagen I deposition establishes biophysical barriers that impede therapeutic delivery. To address this challenge, we developed a cationic liposome nanomicelle system (LIP/RSC) based on a polyenyl phosphatidylcholine (PPC) matrix, functionalized with collagenase I and dual silybin B-retinoic acid (silybin-RA) moieties. In this design, retinoic acid (RA) was covalently conjugated to two distinct components: (i) silybin B to form a targeted therapeutic complex (silybin-RA), and (ii) DSPE-PEG2000-NH₂ to construct a long-circulating carrier (RA-DSPE-PEG2000). The resulting system embodies an innovative HSC-ECM dual-targeting strategy through the integration of dual RA modification technology—combining silybin B-targeting modification with DSPE-PEG2000 long-circulation modification—and spatiotemporally controlled silybin B release. The LIP/RSC system exhibited cell-selective drug release profiles, with a 4-fold greater release of silybin B in CCl₄-activated HSCs (LX-2-CCl₄) than in hepatocytes (WRL68), accompanied by collagen normalization. The system conferred dual pharmacodynamics: slow-release kinetics-prolonged circulation time (≥72 h) while enabling receptor-mediated HSC targeting and collagenase I activity-enhanced fibrotic barrier penetration, resulting in a 2.1-fold increase in the silybin B release efficiency in 8–72 h post-injection and an 85% reduction in the total collagen content in fibrotic murine models. This study validates LIP/RSC as an integrated nanoplatform that synergizes matrix remodeling with targeted drug delivery, thereby demonstrating enhanced therapeutic efficacy against hepatic fibrosis.