Liao Shiyao, Zhou Kai, Kang Yao, Zhao Tingxiao, Lin Yicheng, Lv Jun, Zhu Danjie
Department of Orthopedics, Center for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2025 Dec;53(1):181-193. doi: 10.1080/21691401.2025.2490677. Epub 2025 Apr 15.
Cartilage repair remains challenging due to limited self-healing, poor biocompatibility, and insufficient mechanical properties of current materials. To overcome these issues, we developed a multifunctional composite hydrogel by integrating gelatine methacrylate (GelMA) with magnesium-doped bioactive glass (Mg-BG) and icariin (ICA). SEM analysis revealed that pure GelMA exhibited a highly porous yet loosely organized structure, whereas the addition of Mg-BG and ICA produced a denser, more interconnected porous network that enhances cell adhesion and nutrient diffusion. , the ICA/Mg-BG/GelMA hydrogel achieved a swelling ratio up to 430% and maintained cell viability above 80% over 5 days. Moreover, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that the composite hydrogel upregulated chondrogenic markers (SOX9, ACAN, and COL2A1) compared with GelMA alone. Specifically, it downregulates M1 pro-inflammatory markers (CCR7, iNOS, CD86) and upregulates M2 anti-inflammatory markers (ARG1, CD163, CD206), thereby creating a regenerative microenvironment. These results indicate that the synergistic combination of GelMA, Mg-BG, and ICA not only improves the scaffold's mechanical support but also enhances its biological functionality, offering a promising strategy for cartilage repair. Future studies will focus on validation to further assess its clinical potential.
由于目前材料的自我修复能力有限、生物相容性差以及机械性能不足，软骨修复仍然具有挑战性。为了克服这些问题，我们通过将甲基丙烯酸明胶（GelMA）与镁掺杂生物活性玻璃（Mg-BG）和淫羊藿苷（ICA）相结合，开发了一种多功能复合水凝胶。扫描电子显微镜分析表明，纯GelMA呈现出高度多孔但结构松散的结构，而添加Mg-BG和ICA则产生了更致密、相互连接更多的多孔网络，增强了细胞粘附和营养物质扩散。此外，ICA/Mg-BG/GelMA水凝胶的溶胀率高达430%，并在5天内将细胞活力维持在80%以上。此外，定量逆转录聚合酶链反应（qRT-PCR）和免疫组织化学分析表明，与单独的GelMA相比，复合水凝胶上调了软骨生成标志物（SOX9、ACAN和COL2A1）。具体而言，它下调了M1促炎标志物（CCR7、诱导型一氧化氮合酶、CD86）并上调了M2抗炎标志物（精氨酸酶1、CD163、CD206），从而创造了一个再生微环境。这些结果表明，GelMA、Mg-BG和ICA的协同组合不仅改善了支架的机械支撑，还增强了其生物学功能，为软骨修复提供了一种有前景的策略。未来的研究将集中在验证上，以进一步评估其临床潜力。
