Journal of Materials Chemistry B最新文献

The regeneration of deep burn wounds, which cause dermal tissue necrosis, remains a significant clinical challenge. Herein, we report a skin dressing fabricated by integrating nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) with a polycationic silk fibroin (CSF) to promote burn wound healing via enhanced angiogenesis. The nHA was firmly incorporated into the CSF matrix through metal–phenolic coordination, improving the mechanical robustness and stability of the composite. The CSF-nHA dressing significantly promoted the proliferation of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and enhanced the recruitment and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. Furthermore, the dressing demonstrated a remarkable pro-angiogenic capacity, as validated by the tube formation assays. In a rat model with deep partial-thickness burns, treatment with the CSF-nHA dressing resulted in the formation of highly vascularized neo-tissue. This enhanced vascularization facilitated superior collagen deposition, tissue regeneration, and accelerated wound closure. This study combined inorganic nHA nanoparticles with bioactive CSF macromolecules, offering a promising strategy for the management of burn wounds by promoting rapid revascularization.

High-altitude environments, characterized by low temperatures, hypoxia, low atmospheric pressure, and intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation, significantly increase the mortality rate among burn patients. Current wound dressings are inadequate to address the multifaceted challenges posed by these extreme conditions. In this study, we developed an antifreeze, adhesive, UV-resistant and oxygen-releasing hydrogel based on gallic acid mediated gelatin/amylopectin and ZIF-8 encapsulated calcium peroxide. The phenolic hydroxyl group of gallic acid in the hydrogel network enhanced the antifreeze, adhesive and UV-resistant properties of the hydrogel, which meets the demand of serving in the extreme environment of high-altitude. In addition, its reduced phenolic hydroxyl group conferred the hydrogel with good antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory activity. ZIF-8 encapsulated calcium peroxide nanoparticles not only exhibited antibacterial activity, but also slowly and continuously released oxygen, alleviating hypoxia in wounds, inducing macrophage polarization to the M2 phenotype, promoting vascular and nerve regeneration, and accelerating wound healing. This hydrogel represents a significant advancement in burn wound treatment for high-altitude environments, offering a novel approach to improving clinical outcomes under extreme conditions.

Implant-based breast reconstruction is frequently complicated by capsular contracture and surgical-site infection. Current mesh materials are unable to effectively address these complications due to inherent limitations. This study introduces a novel dual-layered mesh composed of a shape-memory polyurethane foam (PUF) base and a magnolol-loaded nanofiber (PG-MA) outer layer. The PUF-PG-MA mesh offers mechanical support, sustained antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and anti-inflammatory effects by reducing TNF-α and IL-1β levels. In vitro characterization demonstrated a microtextured surface topography (R_a = 11.4 µm), biphasic drug release profile (65.0 ± 4.5% released within 24 hours; 79.9 ± 3.2% by 7 days), excellent shape recovery (>94.5% after cyclic strain), and cytocompatibility (cell viability >80%). Importantly, in an infected breast reconstruction model, PUF-PG-MA resulted in significantly thinner capsules (160.86 ± 96.21 µm) compared to controls (PUF: 257.88 ± 76.27 µm; PUF-PG: 192.34 ± 71.06 µm), demonstrating its dual capacity to suppress infection-induced fibrosis and capsular contracture. This integrated design represents a promising strategy for improving long-term outcomes in breast reconstruction.

Glutaraldehyde-crosslinked bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) widely used in transcatheter or surgical valve replacement have shown the problem of limited lifespan due to their poor endothelialization, insufficient anticoagulant, and anti-calcification properties. Currently, prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) has received increasing attention due to its high mortality rate. In view of the serious threat of PVE, the development of novel BHVs with prolonged lifespan and the ability to prevent PVE is in urgent demand. In this work, a heparin biomimetic nanogel conjugated with ofloxacin via a ROS-cleavable linker was introduced to the surface of glutaraldehyde-crosslinked BHVs to develop a new kind of BHV, namely, Glut–NP-OFL. Nanogels with uniform size were efficiently introduced to the surface of BHVs via a simple soaking method. Compared with glutaraldehyde-crosslinked BHVs, the introduction of nanogels significantly reduced cytotoxicity and effectively improved endothelialization performance. Moreover, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies confirmed that the introduction of nanogels obviously improved the anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-calcification properties of glutaraldehyde-crosslinked BHVs. Importantly, ofloxacin can be intelligently released in environments with high levels of ROS caused by bacterial invasion, which protects Glut–NP-OFL from damage caused by bacteria. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed the excellent antibacterial properties of Glut–NP-OFL. Overall, these findings indicate that this multifunctional coating method could be a promising strategy to prolong the lifespan of BHVs.

Wound healing is a critical issue in clinical treatment. Many reported hydrogel dressings face challenges with fluid absorption and expansion, which can absorb exudate from wounds but may compromise their functionality. In this study, a hydrogel wound dressing with dynamic contraction properties was prepared using an efficient blue light polymerization method. The hydrogel can adhere to the surface of rat skin wounds and actively contract the wound based on body temperature, thereby reducing wound area, alleviating inflammation, improving wound healing quality, and promoting extracellular matrix (ECM) structural remodeling, collagen deposition, and vascular maturation. RNA sequencing revealed the molecular characteristics of dynamic contraction-mediated rat dorsal wounds and identified the underlying molecular mechanisms for enhanced proliferative activity in contraction-mediated rat dorsal wounds. These findings may guide further research into the role of mechanically regulated wound healing and hold significant potential for clinical translation and application.

Severe muscle injuries require muscle regeneration, involving biological processes that usually take a long period to be completed. Over the past few years, significant advances have been achieved in the field of tissue engineering (TE), where new biomaterials and therapies have emerged with the purpose of accelerating this process. Scaffolds, which are commonly used biomaterials in TE, provide mechanical support for cells during the healing process, whereas the use of conductive scaffolds in combination with electrostimulation (ES) has recently been shown to promote cell proliferation and differentiation. In this context, conductive gels play a dual role: as conductive scaffolds and as skin–electrodes interface in ES therapies. The aim of this review is to explore the recent advances in the use of conductive scaffolds and gels for skeletal muscle ES and repair, highlighting their potential as promising tools for future clinical applications.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses major treatment difficulties because of its aggressive behavior, the absence of targetable receptors, and resistance to chemotherapy, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes metastasis. Thus, there is an immediate necessity for creative approaches to conquer the treatment dilemma. The Golgi apparatus, central to processing metastasis- and immune escape-related proteins, emerges as a promising therapeutic target of TNBC. Herein, we report a superoxide anion radical (O₂˙⁻)-activatable, Golgi-targeting prodrug-based albumin complex (DOX-ISR@HSA-DSPE) for synergistic chemo-immunotherapy of TNBC. This complex is formed by loading a rationally designed prodrug (ISR, a conjugate of indomethacin, superoxide anion-responsive linker, and trans-retinoic acid) and the chemotherapeutic drug adriamycin (DOX) with human serum albumin (HSA) and mPEG₂₀₀₀-DSPE as carriers. ISR integrates trans-retinoic acid (RA), indomethacin (IMC), and an O₂˙⁻-responsive linker. IMC enables precise Golgi targeting via COX-2 recognition while suppressing prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) biosynthesis to reverse TME immunosuppression and inhibit metastasis. HSA and mPEG₂₀₀₀-DSPE carriers synergistically enhance tumor enrichment of both payloads, minimizing off-target exposure to normal tissues. Upon intratumoral O₂˙⁻ activation, ISR releases RA to disrupt Golgi function and IMC to inhibit immunosuppressive pathways. This multifaceted approach concurrently implements chemotherapy and reprograms the TME, demonstrating potent anti-tumor and anti-metastatic efficacy against TNBC, providing high translational potential for the comprehensive treatment of immunologically cold tumors.

The global rise of antimicrobial resistance has created an urgent need for alternative strategies that can overcome the limitations of conventional drug-resistance mechanisms. Light-assisted antimicrobial therapy, particularly photodynamic inactivation, offers spatial and temporal control while minimizing the likelihood of resistance. Since biomedical applications demand visible-light-responsive catalysts that enable deeper tissue penetration and minimize photodamage, designing systems that avoid reliance on UV excitation is essential. This work reports a supramolecular oxidase mimic “suprazyme” based on benzohydrazide aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) with systematic π-extension that act as efficient metal-free photo-responsive antimicrobial agents. By extending the aromatic core from benzene (G₀Ben) to naphthalene (G₀Nap) and anthracene (G₀Ant), we progressively narrowed the band gap (3.1 eV to 2.0 eV), red-shifting the absorption into the visible region and enhancing the reactive oxygen species generation under white light. Among the series, G₀Ant exhibited the most robust oxidase-like activity, efficiently producing superoxide radicals without requiring exogenous H₂O₂. The assemblies displayed excellent stability against variations in ionic strength, pH, and temperature, outperforming natural oxidase enzymes such as laccase. Critically, G₀Ant demonstrated potent light-activated antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-positive methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) strains, causing severe membrane disruption while showing minimal dark toxicity and good biocompatibility toward mammalian cells. These findings establish the π-extension of benzohydrazide-based AIEgens as a rational design principle to engineer visible-light-responsive suprazymes for safe, sustainable, and effective antimicrobial therapy.

Medical imaging techniques like X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) rely on contrast agents to enhance the visibility of blood vessels, tissues, and organs, making them crucial for medical diagnoses. Contrast agents used clinically for CT are typically small molecules containing iodine, which are associated with nephrotoxicity, often require large doses that can disrupt thyroid function, have short half-lives, and are sometimes immunogenic. Loading/functionalization of larger molecules with iodine may attenuate X-rays similarly to small molecules, but at much lower concentrations, potentially mitigating the adverse effects of current contrast agents. To test this, iodinated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was synthesized with varying amounts of iodine and structural features and examined for use as a contrast agent. First, 5 kg mol⁻¹ PEG containing one terminal hydroxyl was reacted with trimethylaluminum to form a macroinitiator from which block-co-polymers consisting of PEO-co-poly(epichlorohydrin) (PECH) were synthesized with PECH blocks of 5, 15, and 30 kg mol⁻¹. The polymers were subsequently iodinated and characterized with ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). X-Ray attenuation was found to be similar to that of iohexol, a conventional contrast agent. Further, we found that high molecular weight polymers were completely non-cytotoxic, unlike iohexol, with polymer size the dominating factor for cytotoxicity rather than iodine concentration. As such, these new materials hold promise as medical contrast agents.

Correction for ‘Minimized ΔE_ST: drive thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials in photodynamic therapy’ by Yaning Li et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2025, 13, 10071–10084, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5TB01146A.