Bone tissue regeneration may be more effectively administrated by controlled release of multiple biofactors, given that bone healing comprises a cascade of biological events controlled by numerous cytokines and growth factors (GFs). Here, we propose a novel microcarrier with the capability to sequentially deliver dual biofactors for better controlling the bone regeneration process. First, osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) was incorporated in porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) microspheres by a simple solution dipping method and subsequent pore-closing treatment. Then, a multilayered polyelectrolyte coating ((HA-CS) 2 -Hep-BMP-2-Hep-(CS-HA) 2 ) was prepared on the surface of such OGP-loaded pore-closed PLGA microspheres by layer-by-layer assembly. Results showed that the OGP release was minimal (<17.1%) in the first 15 days but accelerated remarkably thereafter, while at least 60.3% of the bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) load was released in the first 15 days and only very slow release was observed subsequently. Further in vitro cell experiments showed that the dual-biomolecule-loaded microspheres elicited more cells with extremely elongated cellular morphology, much higher alkaline phosphatase level and upregulated expression of osteocalcin. Such a dual loading of OGP and BMP-2 had a more positive impact on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells proliferation and osteogenic differentiation compared with either OGP or BMP-2 alone, suggesting potential synergistic benefit of the sequential release of multiple peptide-based biofactors in a coordinated manner. Overall, this dual delivery system may provide a therapeutic strategy sequentially targeting multiple events (or mechanisms) during bone healing, which is believed to benefit the regenerative repair of bone defects.

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A novel mononuclear supramolecule of copper(II) has been synthesized with Ippyt ligand (Ippyt=3-(4'-imidazole phenyl)-5-(pyrid-2''-yl)-1,2,4-triazole) (1). Compound 1, namely [Cu(Ippyt) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ], has been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectrum, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Structure determination reveals that the elongated-octahedral geometry is formed in the vicinity of the copper (II) atom being coordinated by four nitrogen atoms from two Ippyt ligands occupying the equatorial position and two oxygen atoms from two coordinated water molecules in the axial position, which together form the N 4 O 2 donor set. Hydrogen bonding interactions between nitrogen and oxygen atoms result in the set up of a supramolecular network architecture. Biological properties including antibacterial activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic activity of compound 1 have been investigated by agar diffusion method and the modified Marklund method, respectively. The results indicate that compound 1 exhibits a stronger antibacterial efficiency than the parent ligand and it also has a certain radical-scavenging activity.

In the title complex, [Mn(C28H18N2O2)(N3)(H2O)], the MnIII ion adopts a distorted fac-MnO3N3 octa­hedral geometry arising from the O,N,N′,O′-tetra­dentate Schiff base ligand, an azide ion and a water mol­ecule. In the crystal, inter­molecular O—H⋯(O,O) and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid separation = 3.5535 (13) Å] link the mol­ecules into chains.

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