3D Bio-Printed Bone Scaffolds Incorporated with Natural Antibacterial Compounds

3D Bioprinting plays an irreplaceable role in bone tissue engineering. Shellac and curcumin are two natural compounds that are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. In this study, a new composite scaffold with good biocompatibility and antibacterial ability was manufactured by adding shellac and curcumin into the traditional bone scaffold through low-temperature three-dimensional printing (LT-3DP), and its impact on the osteoimmune microenvironment was evaluated.

Targeting ferroptosis suppresses osteocyte glucolipotoxicity and alleviates diabetic osteoporosis

Diabetic osteoporosis(DOP) is the leading complication continuously threatening the bone health of patients with diabetes. A key pathogenic factor in DOP is loss of osteocyte viability. However, the mechanism of osteocyte death remains unclear. Here, we identified ferroptosis, which is iron-dependent programmed cell death, as a critical mechanism of osteocyte death in murine models of DOP. The diabetic microenvironment significantly enhanced osteocyte ferroptosis in vitro, as shown by the substantial lipid peroxidation, iron overload, and aberrant activation of the ferroptosis pathway. RNA sequencing showed that heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) expression was notably upregulated in ferroptotic osteocytes. Further findings revealed that HO-1 was essential for osteocyte ferroptosis in DOP and that its promoter activity was controlled by the interaction between the upstream NRF2 and c-JUN transcription factors. Targeting ferroptosis or HO-1 efficiently rescued osteocyte death in DOP by disrupting the vicious cycle between lipid peroxidation and HO-1 activation, eventually ameliorating trabecular deterioration. Our study provides insight into DOP pathogenesis, and our results provide a mechanism-based strategy for clinical DOP treatment.

Cytocompatibility with osteogenic cells and enhanced in vivo anti-infection potential of quaternized chitosan-loaded titania nanotubes

Infection is one of the major causes of failure of orthopedic implants. Our previous study demonstrated that nanotube modification of the implant surface, together with nanotubes loaded with quaternized chitosan （hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan, HACC）, could effectively inhibit bacterial adherence and biofilm formation in vitro. Therefore, the aim of this study was to further investigate the in vitro cytocompatibility with osteogenic cells and the in vivo anti-infection activity of titanium implants with HACC-loaded nanotubes （NT-H）. The titanium implant （Ti）, nanotubes without polymer loading （NT）, and nanotubes loaded with chitosan （NT-C） were fabricated and served as controls. Firstly, we evaluated the cytocompatibility of these specimens with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. The observation of cell attachment, proliferation, spreading, and viability in vitro showed that NT-H has improved osteogenic activity compared with Ti and NT-C. A prophylaxis rat model with implantation in the femoral medullary cavity and inoculation with methiciUin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was established and evaluated by radiographical, microbiological, and histopathological assessments. Our in vivo study demonstrated that NT-H coatings exhibited significant anti-infection capability compared with the Ti and NT-C groups. In conclusion, HACC-loaded nanotubes fabricated on a titanium substrate show good compatibility with osteogenic cells and enhanced anti-infection ability in vivo, providing a good foundation for clinical application to combat orthopedic implant-associated infections.

Topological effect on fluorescence emission of tetraphenylethylene-based metallacages

Herein,we describe the selective formation of a barrel-shaped or a ball-shaped fluorescent metallacage by controlling the shape and stoichiometry of the building blocks.Specifically,the tetraphenylethylene-based donor and two acceptors with different numbers of Pt(Ⅱ)centers were combined via coordination-driven self-assembly.Owing to the differences in the shapes of the assemblies,the resultant ball-shaped metallacage displayed stronger and blue-shifted fluorescence compared to the barrel-shaped one in dilute solutions,while a reversal of fluorescence intensities was observed in the aggregation process.Overall,this work demonstrates that the photophysical properties of supramolecular coordination complexes can be affected by subtle geometrical factors,which can be controlled precisely at the molecular level.

Kinsenoside attenuates osteoarthritis by repolarizing macrophages through inactivating NF-κB/MAPK signaling and protecting chondrocytes

The objective was to investigate the effect of kinsenoside(Kin) treatments on macrophage polarity and evaluate the resulting protection of chondrocytes to attenuate osteoarthritis(OA) progression.RAW264.7 macrophages were polarized to M1/M2 subtypes then administered with different concentrations of Kin. The polarization transitions were evaluated with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(q RT-PCR), confocal observation and flow cytometry analysis. The mechanism of Kin repolarizing M1 macrophages was evaluated by Western blot. Further, macrophage conditioned medium(CM) and IL-1β were administered to chondrocytes. Micro-CT scanning and histological observations were conducted in vivo on anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT) mice with or without Kin treatment. We found that Kin repolarized M1 macrophages to the M2 phenotype. Mechanistically, Kin inhibited the phosphorylation of IκBα, which further reduced the downstream phosphorylation of P65 in nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) signaling. Moreover, Kin inhibited mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPK) signaling molecules p-JNK, p-ERK and p-P38. Additionally, Kin attenuated macrophage CM and IL-1β-induced chondrocyte damage. In vivo, Kin reduced the infiltration of M1 macrophages,promoted M2 macrophages in the synovium, inhibited subchondral bone destruction and reduced articular cartilage damage induced by ACLT. All the results indicated that Kin is an effective therapeutic candidate for OA treatment.

A 3D-bioprinted scaffold with doxycycline-controlled BMP2-expressing cells for inducing bone regeneration and inhibiting bacterial infection

Large bone defects face a high risk of pathogen exposure due to open wounds,which leads to high infection rates and delayed bone union.To promote successful repair of infectious bone defects,fabrication of a scaffold with dual functions of osteo-induction and bacterial inhibition is required.This study describes creation of an engineered progenitor cell line(C3H10T1/2)capable of doxycycline(DOX)-mediated release of bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP2).Three-dimensional bioprinting technology enabled creation of scaffolds,comprising polycaprolactone/mesoporous bioactive glass/DOX and bioink,containing these engineered cells.In vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that the scaffold could actively secrete BMP2 to significantly promote osteoblast differentiation and induce ectopic bone formation.Additionally,the scaffold exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial capacity,thereby ensuring the survival of embedded engineered cells when facing high risk of infection.These findings demonstrated the efficacy of this bioprinted scaffold to release BMP2 in a controlled manner and prevent the occurrence of infection;thus,showing its potential for repairing infectious bone defects.

Multi-omics analysis based on 3D-bioprinted models innovates therapeutic target discovery of osteosarcoma

Current in vitro models for osteosarcoma investigation and drug screening,including two-dimensional(2D)cell culture and tumour spheroids(i.e.cancer stem-like cells),lack extracellular matrix(ECM).Therefore,results from traditional models may not reflect real pathological processes in genuine osteosarcoma histological structures.Here,we report a three-dimensional(3D)bioprinted osteosarcoma model(3DBPO)that contains osteosarcoma cells and shrouding ECM analogue in a 3D frame.Photo-crosslinkable bioinks composed of gelatine methacrylamide and hyaluronic acid methacrylate mimicked tumour ECM.We performed multi-omics analysis,including transcriptomics and DNA methylomics,to determine differences between the 3DBPO model and traditional models.Compared with 2D models and tumour spheroids,our 3DBPO model showed significant changes in cell cycle,metabolism,adherens junctions,and other pathways associated with epigenetic regulation.The 3DBPO model was more sensitive to therapies targeted to the autophagy pathway.We showed that simulating ECM yielded different osteosarcoma cell metabolic characteristics and drug sensitivity in the 3DBPO model compared with classical models.We suggest 3D printed osteosarcoma models can be used in osteosarcoma fundamental and translational research,which may contribute to novel therapeutic strategy discovery.