ROS-responsive hydrogel coating modified titanium promotes vascularization and osteointegration of bone defects by orchestrating immunomodulation

Xuan Li; Kun Xu; Ye He; Bailong Tao; Ke Li; Chuanchuan Lin; Jingwei Hu; Jing Wu; Yi Wu; Shaopeng Liu; Peng Liu; Huaiyu Wang; Kaiyong Cai

doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121683

ROS-responsive hydrogel coating modified titanium promotes vascularization and osteointegration of bone defects by orchestrating immunomodulation

Biomaterials. 2022 Aug:287:121683. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121683. Epub 2022 Jul 18.

Authors

Xuan Li¹, Kun Xu¹, Ye He², Bailong Tao³, Ke Li¹, Chuanchuan Lin⁴, Jingwei Hu¹, Jing Wu¹, Yi Wu¹, Shaopeng Liu¹, Peng Liu⁵, Huaiyu Wang⁶, Kaiyong Cai⁷

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
² Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, 27708, North Carolina, USA.
³ Laboratory Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
⁴ Laboratory of Radiation Biology, Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Blood Transfusion, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China. Electronic address: liupeng79@cqu.edu.cn.
⁶ Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China. Electronic address: kaiyong_cai@cqu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35870263
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121683

Abstract

Ideal titanium implants are required to participate in bone repair actively to improve in situ osteointegration. However, the traditional surface functionalization methods of titanium implants are difficult to both achieve the active regulation and long-term stability of bioactive components. Here, a novel functionalized titanium which loaded with thymosin β4 (Tβ4) and covered by a hydrogel coating was designed and evaluated. A strong adhesion between the coating and the titanium substrate was realized by the synergistic action of borate ester bonds and surface topological structure. The hydrogel coating also achieved an in vivo adhesion between implant and tissue through hydrogen bonds and borate bonds. In addition, based on the ROS response property of borate bonds, the implant can release Tβ4 in response to the immune reaction of bone healing by regulating the polarization of macrophages, thereby reducing the fibrosis formation around the implant interface and promoting vascularization and osteointegration of bone defects.

Keywords: Hydrogel coating; Macrophage; Osteointegration; Thymosin β4; Titanium; Vascularization.