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(1) The vicious cycle of innate immune response and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is an important pathological process of osteoarthritis (OA). Melatonin may be a new hope for the treatment of OA because of its antioxidant capacity. However, the mechanism of melatonin in the treatment of OA is still not completely clear, and the physiological characteristics of articular cartilage make melatonin unable to play a long-term role in OA. (2) The effects of melatonin on ROS and the innate immune response system in OA chondrocytes and the therapeutic effect in vivo were evaluated. Then, a melatonin-loaded nano-delivery system (MT@PLGA-COLBP) was prepared and characterized. Finally, the behavior of MT@PLGA-COLPB in cartilage and the therapeutic effect in OA mice were evaluated. (3) Melatonin can inhibit the activation of the innate immune system by inhibiting the TLR2/4-MyD88-NFκB signal pathway and scavenging ROS, thus improving cartilage matrix metabolism and delaying the progression of OA in vivo. MT@PLGA-COLBP can reach the interior of cartilage and complete the accumulation in OA knee joints. At the same time, it can reduce the number of intra-articular injections and improve the utilization rate of melatonin in vivo. (4) This work provides a new idea for the treatment of osteoarthritis, updates the mechanism of melatonin in the treatment of osteoarthritis, and highlights the application prospect of PLGA@MT-COLBP nanoparticles in preventing OA.

Abnormal bite force is an important risk factor for oral and maxillofacial disorders, which is a critical dilemma that dentists face every day without effective solutions. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to develop a wireless bite force measurement device and explore quantitative measurement methods to help find effective strategies for improving occlusal diseases. This study designed the open window carrier of a bite force detection device through 3D printing technology, and then the stress sensors were integrated and embedded into a hollow structure. The sensor system mainly consisted of a pressure signal acquisition module, a main control module, and a server terminal. A machine learning algorithm will be leveraged for bite force data processing and parameter configuration in the future. This study implemented a sensor prototype system from scratch to fully evaluate each component of the intelligent device. The experimental results showed reasonable parameter metrics for the device carrier and demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed scheme for bite force measurement. An intelligent and wireless bite force device with a stress sensor system is a promising approach to occlusal disease diagnosis and treatment.

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