Surface-Engineered Titanium with Nanoceria to Enhance Soft Tissue Integration Via Reactive Oxygen Species Modulation and Nanotopographical Sensing

Abstract

The design of implantable biomaterials involves precise tuning of surface features because the early cellular fate on such engineered surfaces is highly influenced by many physicochemical factors [roughness, hydrophilicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsiveness, etc.]. Herein, to enhance soft tissue integration for successful implantation, Ti substrates decorated with uniform layers of nanoceria (Ce), called Ti@Ce, were optimally developed by a simple and cost-effective in situ immersion coating technique. The characterization of Ti@Ce shows a uniform Ce distribution with enhanced roughness (∼3fold increase) and hydrophilicity (∼4-fold increase) and adopted ROS-scavenging capacity by nanoceria coating. When human gingival fibroblasts were seeded on Ti@Ce under oxidative stress conditions, Ti@Ce supported cellular adhesion, spreading, and survivability by its cellular ROS-scavenging capacity. Mechanistically, the unique nanocoating resulted in higher expression of amphiphysin (a nanotopology sensor), paxillin (a focal adhesion protein), and cell adhesive proteins (collagen-1 and fibronectin). Ti@Ce also led to global chromatin condensation by decreasing histone 3 acetylation as an early differentiation feature. Transcriptome analysis by RNA sequencing confirmed the chromatin remodeling, antiapoptosis, antioxidant, cell adhesion, and TGF-β signaling-related gene signatures in Ti@Ce. As key fibroblast transcription (co)factors, Ti@Ce promotes serum response factor and MRTF-α nucleus localization. Considering all of this, it is proposed that the surface engineering approach using Ce could improve the biological properties of Ti implants, supporting their functioning at soft tissue interfaces and utilization as a bioactive implant for clinical conditions such as peri-implantitis.

Multifunctional Molybdenum-Based Nanoclusters Engineered Gelatin Methacryloyl as In Situ Photo-Cross-Linkable Hybrid Hydrogel Dressings for Enhanced Wound Healing

“…Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential components of normal metabolic processes, playing an active role in both defending against bacterial infections and regulating immune responses. , However, an overproduction of ROS is directly linked to various conditions like injuries and diseases including diabetes, osteoarthritis (OA), and numerous other inflammatory disorders. − In the hostile microenvironment of a wound, the uncontrolled accumulation of ROS can induce oxidative stress, suppress the viability of native skin cells, and disrupt growth factors in the damaged tissue, ultimately impeding the potential for tissue regeneration . Various classes of redox nanomaterials, such as nanoceria (nCe), iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 ), melanin nanoparticles, and Prussian blue nanoparticles, have been utilized to manage ROS and address this issue. − However, most nanomaterials face challenges with rapid body clearance and higher concentration administration due to biocompatibility concerns. , …”