Yang Junyao, Chen Jian, Liu Yixiao, Zhao Xinghe, Chen Zheyi, Zheng Haodong, Chen Fangyi, Yan Hongyu, Cai Xiaojun, Xu Jing
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xin Hua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
Institute of Artificial Intelligence Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Experimental Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
Mater Today Bio. 2025 Aug 11;34:102187. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.102187. eCollection 2025 Oct.
Tendinopathy, a prevalent musculoskeletal disorder characterized by chronic pain and functional decline, remains a therapeutic challenge due to the limited efficacy of conventional treatments in addressing oxidative stress and persistent inflammation. Here, we present Prussian blue nanozymes (PBzymes) as a catalytic nanomedicine engineered to mimic multi-enzyme activities, offering a potent strategy for tendon microenvironment modulation and repair. Synthesized via a hydrothermal template-free approach, PBzymes exhibit robust reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capabilities through intrinsic superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase-like activities, effectively neutralizing •OH, HO, and •OOH radicals. In vitro studies demonstrate PBzymes' ability to mitigate tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced oxidative damage in tenocytes and restore cell viability via ROS clearance. In a collagenase-induced rat tendinopathy model, localized PBzyme administration suppressed inflammatory tissue damage, inhibited aberrant differentiation of tendon progenitor cells and promoted collagen fiber realignment achieving a significant increase in biomechanical strength of tissue samples compared to untreated controls. Mechanistically, PBzymes attenuated MAPK signaling activation in M1 macrophages, downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin-1β and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α) production while enhancing M2 reparative macrophage polarization. Histological and gait analyses of treated rat further confirmed functional recovery, with treated tendons exhibiting near-native collagen architecture and restored locomotor parameters. Comprehensive biosafety evaluations revealed no systemic toxicity that would underscore PBzymes' clinical potential. This work pioneers nanozyme-mediated tendon regeneration, bridging catalytic nanotechnology and immunomodulation to address unmet needs in musculoskeletal therapeutics.
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