A combination therapy for androgenic alopecia based on quercetin and zinc/copper dual-doped mesoporous silica nanocomposite microneedle patch

A nanocomposite microneedle(ZCQ/MN)patch containing copper/zinc dual-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with quercetin(ZCQ)was developed as a combination therapy for androgenic alopecia(AGA).The degradable microneedle gradually dissolves after penetration into the skin and releases the ZCQ nanoparticles.ZCQ nanoparticles release quercetin(Qu),copper(Cu^(2+))and zinc ions(Zn^(2+))subcutaneously to synergistically promote hair follicle regeneration.The mechanism of promoting hair follicle regeneration mainly includes the regulation of the main pathophysiological phenomena of AGA such as inhibition of dihydrotestosterone,inhibition of inflammation,promotion of angiogenesis and activation of hair follicle stem cells by the combination of Cu^(2+)and Zn^(2+)ions and Qu.This study demonstrates that the systematic intervention targeting different pathophysiological links of AGA by the combination of organic drug and bioactive metal ions is an effective treatment strategy for hair loss,which provides a theoretical basis for development of biomaterial based anti-hair loss therapy.

Silicate ions as soluble form of bioactive ceramics alleviate aortic aneurysm and dissection

Aortic aneurysm and dissection(AAD)are leading causes of death in the elderly.Recent studies have demonstrated that silicate ions can manipulate multiple cells,especially vascular-related cells.We demonstrated in this study that silicate ions as soluble form of bioactive ceramics effectively alleviated aortic aneurysm and dissection in both Ang II andβ-BAPN induced AAD models.Different from the single targeting therapeutic drug approaches,the bioactive ceramic derived approach attributes to the effect of bioactive silicate ions on the inhibition of the AAD progression through regulating the local vascular microenvironment of aorta systematically in a multi-functional way.The in vitro experiments revealed that silicate ions did not only alleviate senescence and inflammation of the mouse aortic endothelial cells,enhance M2 polarization of mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages,and reduce apoptosis of mouse aortic smooth muscle cells,but also regulate their interactions.The in vivo studies further confirm that silicate ions could effectively alleviate senescence,inflammation,and cell apoptosis of aortas,accomplished with reduced aortic dilation,collagen deposition,and elastin laminae degradation.This bioactive ceramic derived therapy provides a potential new treatment strategy in attenuating AAD progression.

3D-printed GelMA/CaSiO_(3)composite hydrogel scaffold for vascularized adipose tissue restoration

The increased number of mastectomies,combined with rising patient expectations for cosmetic and psychosocial outcomes,has necessitated the use of adipose tissue restoration techniques.However,the therapeutic effect of current clinical strategies is not satisfying due to the high demand of personalized customization and the timely vascularization in the process of adipose regeneration.Here,a composite hydrogel scaffold was prepared by three-dimensional(3D)printing technology,applying gelatin methacrylate anhydride(GelMA)as printing ink and calcium silicate(CS)bioceramic as an active ingredient for breast adipose tissue regeneration.The in vitro experiments showed that the composite hydrogel scaffolds could not only be customized with controllable architectures,but also significantly stimulated both 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells in multiple cell behaviors,including cell adhesion,proliferation,migration and differentiation.Moreover,the composite scaffold promoted vascularized adipose tissue restoration under the skin of nude mice in vivo.These findings suggest that 3D-printed GelMA/CS composite scaffolds might be a good candidate for adipose tissue engineering.