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.

A biomaterial-based therapy for lower limb ischemia using Sr/Si bioactive hydrogel that inhibits skeletal muscle necrosis and enhances angiogenesis

Muscle necrosis and angiogenesis are two major challenges in the treatment of lower-limb ischemic diseases.In this study,a triple-functional Sr/Si-containing bioceramic/alginate composite hydrogel with simultaneous bioactivity in enhancing angiogenesis,regulating inflammation,and inhibiting muscle necrosis was designed to treat lower-limb ischemic diseases.In particular,sodium alginate,calcium silicate and strontium carbonate were used to prepare injectable hydrogels,which was gelled within 10 min.More importantly,this composite hydrogel sustainedly releases bioactive Sr^(2+)and SiO_(3)^(2-) ions within 28 days.The biological activity of the bioactive ions released from the hydrogels was verified on HUVECs,SMCs,C2C12 and Raw 264.7 cells in vitro,and the therapeutic effect of the hydrogel was confirmed using C57BL/6 mouse model of femoral artery ligation in vivo.The results showed that the composite hydrogel stimulated angiogenesis,developed new collateral capillaries,and re-established the blood supply.In addition,the bioactive hydrogel directly promoted the expression of muscle-regulating factors(MyoG and MyoD)to protect skeletal muscle from necrosis,inhibited M1 polarization,and promoted M2 polarization of macrophages to reduce inflammation,thereby protecting skeletal muscle cells and indirectly promoting vascularization.Our results indicate that these bioceramic/alginate composite bioactive hydrogels are effective biomaterials for treating hindlimb ischemia and suggest that biomaterial-based approaches may have remarkable potential in treating ischemic diseases.

Design of a biofluid-absorbing bioactive sandwich-structured Zn-Si bioceramic composite wound dressing for hair follicle regeneration and skin burn wound healing

The deep burn skin injures usually severely damage the dermis with the loss of hair follicle loss,which are difficult to regenerate.Furthermore,severe burns often accompanied with large amount of wound exudates making the wound moist,easily infected,and difficult to heal.Therefore,it is of great clinical significance to develop wound dressings to remove wound exudates and promote hair follicle regeneration.In this study,a sandwich-structured wound dressing(SWD)with Janus membrane property was fabricated by hot compression molding using hydrophilic zinc silicate bioceramics(Hardystonite,ZnCS)and hydrophobic polylactic acid(PLA).This unique organic/inorganic Janus membrane structure revealed excellent exudate absorption property and effectively created a dry wound environment.Meanwhile,the incorporation of ZnCS bioceramic particles endowed the dressing with the bioactivity to promote hair follicle regeneration and wound healing through the release of Zn^(2+)and SiO^(2-)_(3)ions,and this bioactivity of the wound dressing is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of Zn^(2+)and SiO^(2-)_(3)to promote the recruitment,viability,and differentiation of hair follicle cells.Our study demonstrates that the utilization of the Janus membrane and synergistic effect of different type bioactive ions are effective approaches for the design of wound dressings for burn wound healing.

Ion therapy of pulmonary fibrosis by inhalation of ionic solution derived from silicate bioceramics

Pulmonary fibrosis(PF)is a chronic and progressively fatal disease,but clinically available therapeutic drugs are limited due to efficacy and side effects.The possible mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis includes the damage of alveolar epithelial cells II(AEC2),and activation of immune cells such as macrophages.The ions released from bioceramics have shown the activity in stimulating soft tissue derived cells such as fibroblasts,endothelia cells and epithelia cells,and regulating macrophage polarization.Therefore,this study proposes an“ion therapy”approach based on the active ions of bioceramic materials,and investigates the therapeutic effect of bioactive ions derived from calcium silicate(CS)bioceramics on mouse models of pulmonary fibrosis.We demonstrate that silicate ions significantly reduce pulmonary fibrosis by simultaneously regulating the functions of AEC2 and macrophages.This result suggests potential clinical applications of ion therapy for lung fibrosis.