Mimicking the natural bone extracellular matrix containing intrinsic topo graphy and electrical signals is an effective way to modulate bone regeneration. However, simultaneously coupling of the intrinsic mechanobiology and electrical cues of implant to modulate bone regeneration remains ignored. Here, the authors report in situ designation of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanocone/bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ) nanodot heterojunctions on bone implant surface to electro-biomechanically trigger osseointegration at bone/implant interface. TiO 2 nanocone/Bi 2 O 3 nanodot heterojunctions exhibit built-in electric field at the nanoscale interface and elastic modulus equivalent to that of bone tissue. The nano-heterojunctions significantly promoted the attachment, spreading, and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro, and the osteogenesis in vivo. The authors also show that the effects of nano-heterojunctions on osteogenesis are mediated by yes-associated protein biomechanical signal pathway and intracellular enrichment induced Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signal pathway. Their findings highlight the coupling of topographical and electric parameters of biomaterials for modulating cell behaviors.
The vulnerability of hydrogel electronic materials to mechanical damage due to their soft nature has necessitated the development of self‐repairing hydrogel electronics. However, the development of such material with underwater self‐repairing capability as well as excellent mechanical properties for application in aquatic environments is highly challenging and has not yet been fully realized. This study designs a tough and highly efficient underwater self‐repairing supramolecular hydrogel by synergistically combining weak hydrogen bonds (H‐bonds) and strong dipole–dipole interactions. The resultant hydrogel has high stretchability (up to 700%) and toughness (4.45 MJ m−3), and an almost 100% fast strain self‐recovery (10 min). The underwater healing process is rapid and autonomous (98% self‐repair efficiency after 1 h of healing). Supramolecular hydrogels can be developed as soft electronic sensors for physiological signal detection (gestures, breathing, microexpression, and vocalization) and real‐time underwater communication (Morse code). Importantly, the hydrogel sensor can function underwater after mechanical damage because of its highly efficient underwater self‐repairing capability.
Cancer residues around the surgical site remain a significant cause of treatment failure with cancer recurrence. To prevent cancer recurrence and simultaneously repair surgery-caused defects, it is urgent to develop implantable biomaterials with anticancer ability and good biological activity. In this work, a functionalized implant is successfully fabricated by doping the effective anticancer element selenium (Se) into the potassium−sodium niobate piezoceramic, which realizes the wireless combination of electrotherapy and chemotherapy. Herein, we demonstrate that the Se-doped piezoelectric implant can cause mitochondrial damage by increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and then trigger the caspase-3 pathway to significantly promote apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells in vitro. Meanwhile, its good biocompatibility has been verified. These results are of great importance for future deployment of wireless electro-and chemostimulation to modulate biological process around the defective tissue.
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