Repair of critical-sized bone defects in rabbit femurs using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterials

Macrophage membrane (MMs) camouflaged near-infrared (NIR) responsive bone defect area targeting nanocarrier delivery system (BTNDS) for rapid repair: promoting osteogenesis via phototherapy and modulating immunity

Bone defects remain a significant challenge in clinical orthopedics, but no targeted medication can solve these problems. Inspired by inflammatory targeting properties of macrophages, inflammatory microenvironment of bone defects was exploited to develop a multifunctional nanocarrier capable of targeting bone defects and promoting bone regeneration. The avidin-modified black phosphorus nanosheets (BP-Avidin, BPAvi) were combined with biotin-modified Icaritin (ICT-Biotin, ICTBio) to synthesize Icaritin (ICT)-loaded black phosphorus nanosheets (BPICT). BPICT was then coated with macrophage membranes (MMs) to obtain MMs-camouflaged BPICT (M@BPICT). Herein, MMs allowed BPICT to target bone defects area, and BPICT accelerated the release of phosphate ions (PO43-) and ICT when exposed to NIR irradiation. PO43- recruited calcium ions (Ca2+) from the microenvironment to produce Ca3(PO4)2, and ICT increased the expression of osteogenesis-related proteins. Additionally, M@BPICT can decrease M1 polarization of macrophage and expression of pro-inflammatory factors to promote osteogenesis. According to the results, M@BPICT provided bone growth factor and bone repair material, modulated inflammatory microenvironment, and activated osteogenesis-related signaling pathways to promote bone regeneration. PTT could significantly enhance these effects. This strategy not only offers a solution to the challenging problem of drug-targeted delivery in bone defects but also expands the biomedical applications of MMs-camouflaged nanocarriers.

Electrospun PAN/PEG Nanofibrous Membrane Embedded with a MgO/gC3N4 Nanocomposite for Effective Bone Regeneration

Developing biomaterial scaffolds using tissue engineering with physical and chemical surface modification processes can improve the bioactivity and biocompatibility of the materials. The appropriate substrate and site for cell attachment are crucial in cell behavior and biological activities. Therefore, the study aims to develop a conventional electrospun nanofibrous biomaterial using reproducible surface topography, which offers beneficial effects on the cell activities of bone cells. The bioactive MgO/gC3N4 was incorporated on PAN/PEG and fabricated into a nanofibrous membrane using electrospinning. The nanocomposite uniformly distributed on the PAN/PEG nanofiber helps to increase the number of induced pores and reduce the hydrophobicity of PAN. The physiochemical characterization of prepared nanoparticles and nanofibers was carried out using FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle measurements. SEM and TEM analyses examined the nanofibrous morphology and the structure of MgO/gC3N4. In vitro studies such as on ALP activity demonstrated the membrane's ability to regenerate new bone and healing capacity. Furthermore, alizarin red staining showed the increasing ability of the cell-cell interaction and calcium content for tissue regeneration. The cytotoxicity of the prepared membrane was about 97.09% of live THP-1 cells on the surface of the MgO/gC3N4@PAN/PEG membrane evaluated using MTT dye staining. The soil burial degradation analysis exhibited that the maximum degradation occurs on the 45th day because of microbial activity. In vitro PBS degradation was observed on the 15th day after the bulk hydrolysis mechanism. Hence, on the basis of the study outcomes, we affirm that the MgO/gC3N4@PAN/PEG nanofibrous membrane can act as a potential bone regenerative substrate.

Effects of Space Dimensionality within Scaffold for Bone Regeneration with Large and Oriented Blood Vessels

The internal structure of the scaffolds is a key factor for bone regeneration. In this study, we focused on the space dimensionality within the scaffold that may control cell migration and evaluated the effects on the size and orientation of blood vessels and the amount of bone formation in the scaffold. The carbonate apatite scaffolds with intrascaffold space allowing one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), or three-dimensional (3D) cell migration were fabricated by 3D printing. These scaffolds had the same space size, i.e., distances between the struts (~300 µm). The scaffolds were implanted into the medial condyle of rabbit femurs for four weeks. Both the size and orientation degree of the blood vessels formed in the scaffolds allowing 1D cell migration were 2.5- to 4.0-fold greater than those of the blood vessels formed in the scaffolds allowing 2D and 3D cell migration. Furthermore, the amount of bone formed in the scaffolds allowing 1D cell migration was 1.4-fold larger than that formed in the scaffolds allowing 2D and 3D cell migration. These are probably because the 1D space limited the direction of cell migration and prevented the branching of blood vessels, whereas 2D and 3D spaces provided the opportunity for random cell migration and blood vessel branching. Thus, scaffolds with 1D space are advantageous for inducing large and oriented blood vessels, resulting in a larger amount of bone formation.

An introductory review on advanced multifunctional materials

This review summarizes the applications of some of the advanced materials. It included the synthesis of several nanoparticles such as metal oxide nanoparticles (e.g., Fe₃O₄, ZnO, ZrOSO₄, MoO_3-x, CuO, AgFeO₂, Co₃O₄, CeO₂, SiO₂, and CuFeO₂); metal hydroxide nanosheets (e.g., Zn₅(OH)₈(NO₃)₂·2H₂O, Zn(OH)(NO₃)·H₂O, and Zn₅(OH)₈(NO₃)₂); metallic nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt); carbon-based nanomaterials (graphene, graphene oxide (GO), graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), and carbon dots (CDs)); biopolymers (cellulose, nanocellulose, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNFs), and chitosan); organic polymers (e.g. covalent-organic frameworks (COFs)); and hybrid materials (e.g. metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)). Most of these materials were applied in several fields such as environmental-based technologies (e.g., water remediation, air purification, gas storage), energy (production of hydrogen, dimethyl ether, solar cells, and supercapacitors), and biomedical sectors (sensing, biosensing, cancer therapy, and drug delivery). They can be used as efficient adsorbents and catalysts to remove emerging contaminants e.g., inorganic (i.e., heavy metals) and organic (e.g., dyes, antibiotics, pesticides, and oils in water via adsorption. They can be also used as catalysts for catalytic degradation reactions such as redox reactions of pollutants. They can be used as filters for air purification by capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They can be used for hydrogen production via water splitting, alcohol oxidation, and hydrolysis of NaBH₄. Nanomedicine for some of these materials was also included being an effective agent as an antibacterial, nanocarrier for drug delivery, and probe for biosensing.