Immune and Stem Cell-Mediated Bactericidal Amplification and Bone Remodeling for Infection Clearance and Osteointegration - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #Biomaterials
- #Bone Regeneration
- #Implant Infection
- pH-responsive biomaterial interfaces use infection-induced acidification to coordinate antimicrobial action with immune and stem cell reprogramming.
- The system releases bactericidal peptides for direct bacterial elimination and includes magnesium ions and cell-targeting peptides to enhance immune responses and recruit mesenchymal stem cells.
- This leads to robust osteogenic differentiation, achieving a 280% increase in bone volume in rat infection models and a >4-log bacterial reduction.
- Transcriptomic analysis shows Wnt-activated stem cells and alternatively activated macrophages upregulate antimicrobial and osteogenic genes, contributing to infection clearance and regeneration.
- The strategy transforms endogenous cells into bifunctional therapeutic agents, integrating infection treatment and bone regeneration.